Oc Dooley
2 UNIT” COLLEGE BASKETBALL UNDERDOG OF THE DAY (Eastern Washington +11’ at Montana State in a 4:00 eastern tipoff telecast on the Altitude Network): It was exactly one year ago at this time during a Sunday full of NFL “divisional” playoff contests that the lone Big Sky Conference basketball contest saw a sizeable 8’-point road underdog pull off an outright upset and we could see that once again late this afternoon. On paper this particular game is a mismatch between thriving Montana State (7-0 SU/5-0 ATS at home averaging 81 points per game) against struggling Eastern Washington (0-9 SU/2-5 ATS on the road). But last year in this series it was Eastern Washington who won both clashes outright on the scoreboard, while an Eastern Washington visit to this location back in the 2009 campaign produced a close contest decided by a FOUR-point margin. Even though earlier this week they lost once again in a road contest, Eastern Washington’s defense held a heavily favored opponent WITHOUT a field goal for more than a SIX-minute stretch which gives us what I like to call a “defensive underdog” For those who followed the recently completed college football Division I-AA playoffs, you know that the Eastern Washington gridiron squad pulled off stunning upsets enroute to the school’s first-ever National Championship title. Eastern Washington took advantage all season with their unique “red home turf” which constantly confused opponents and the school pulled off an upset as a “double digit” home underdog in one of the I-AA national semifinals. It was ten days ago as a 9’ point underdog when Eastern Washington climbed out of a 19-0 hole to win the National Championship on a neutral field. Basically these are “feel good” times for Eastern Washington even though their basketball team (3-12) is having problems winning games. My database research indicates that in the past two years Montana State is actually a disastrous “0-6” ATS when facing a horrible opponent who has won only 20-to-40 percent of their games
2 UNIT” COLLEGE BASKETBALL UNDERDOG OF THE DAY (Eastern Washington +11’ at Montana State in a 4:00 eastern tipoff telecast on the Altitude Network): It was exactly one year ago at this time during a Sunday full of NFL “divisional” playoff contests that the lone Big Sky Conference basketball contest saw a sizeable 8’-point road underdog pull off an outright upset and we could see that once again late this afternoon. On paper this particular game is a mismatch between thriving Montana State (7-0 SU/5-0 ATS at home averaging 81 points per game) against struggling Eastern Washington (0-9 SU/2-5 ATS on the road). But last year in this series it was Eastern Washington who won both clashes outright on the scoreboard, while an Eastern Washington visit to this location back in the 2009 campaign produced a close contest decided by a FOUR-point margin. Even though earlier this week they lost once again in a road contest, Eastern Washington’s defense held a heavily favored opponent WITHOUT a field goal for more than a SIX-minute stretch which gives us what I like to call a “defensive underdog” For those who followed the recently completed college football Division I-AA playoffs, you know that the Eastern Washington gridiron squad pulled off stunning upsets enroute to the school’s first-ever National Championship title. Eastern Washington took advantage all season with their unique “red home turf” which constantly confused opponents and the school pulled off an upset as a “double digit” home underdog in one of the I-AA national semifinals. It was ten days ago as a 9’ point underdog when Eastern Washington climbed out of a 19-0 hole to win the National Championship on a neutral field. Basically these are “feel good” times for Eastern Washington even though their basketball team (3-12) is having problems winning games. My database research indicates that in the past two years Montana State is actually a disastrous “0-6” ATS when facing a horrible opponent who has won only 20-to-40 percent of their games
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