Handicapper: Evan Altemus
Sport: College Basketball
Game: Old Dominion Monarchs @ Bradley Braves - Tuesday March 31, 2009 8:00 pm
Pick: 4 units ATS: Old Dominion Monarchs +2 (-110)



Bradley has a substantial edge in home court advantage, as they have drawn over 10,000 fans in these post season games. In addition, they have played all of their CIT games at home, so the Braves are well rested. However, I feel that these two factors are giving us excellent point spread value, and the oddsmakers are telling us something about these two teams. Bradley is just a small favorite, despite playing with a fairly strong home court advantage. The Colonial Athletic Association is a step above the Missouri Valley Conference this season. This year has been one of the weaker years for the MVC, evident by only one team making it into the NCAA tournament. In addition, Northern Iowa was bounced in the 1st round, while Creighton was defeated at home by a relatively weak Kentucky team in the NIT. In addition, Old Dominion underperformed for most of this season before turning things on in February. The Monarchs are a very athletic and well coached team. In addition, their three wins in the CIT have come against much better teams than Bradley. The Citadel, Belmont, and James Madison are overall tougher opponents than Pacific, Oakland, and Austin Peay. In addition, Old Dominion played very well on the road this season, going 7-6 straight up away from home. They are an experienced team as well, so they won’t get rattled in the hostile environment. Look for Old Dominion to get the outright win.

4 UNIT SELECTION