The Sports Gambling Podcast Network continues covering conference tournaments with our Conference USA Tournament preview, picks, and best bets.
Every game of this league tournament will be hosted at a neutral court in Huntsville, Alabama. The opening round will begin on Tuesday, leading up to the title game Saturday night on CBS Sports Network.
This is a new venue for C-USA after playing their last six championships at The Star in Frisco, Texas. Regardless of where this is held, this has consistently been a tournament known for upsets.
Over the last nine Conference USA Tournaments, the regular season champion has only won the postseason title three times. This should add even more pressure to league newcomer and No. 1 seed Sam Houston State in this one.
Nobody from this league will receive an invite to the NCAA Tournament, with every team fighting for the automatic bid to The Big Dance. We’ll break down the tournament below in our Conference USA Tournament preview and give our best bets.
2024 Conference USA Tournament Preview, Picks, and Best Bets
Conference Tournament Champion Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook (Organized by Seed in Tournament)
Sam Houston State: +500
Louisiana Tech: +115
WKU: +475
Liberty: +450
UTEP: +1200
New Mexico State: +6500
Middle Tennessee: +6500
Jacksonville State: +2500
FIU: +15000
The Favorite: Louisiana Tech +115
It is not a huge surprise that Louisiana Tech has the lowest odds coming into the tournament as the No. 2 seed. The Bulldogs are the only C-USA squad rated in the Top 100 by both Kenpom and BartTorvik.
They were also sizeable favorites in the two games against top-seeded Sam Houston State in the regular season. Tech opened conference play as a 6.5-point favorite at SHSU before later closing at -9 at home against the Bearkats.
However, the Bulldogs did lose both of those matchups outright. The losses do give me pause on betting them in the tournament as a favorite, but if you want the team with the best metrics at a plus price, it is still not a bad bet.
One key to backing Louisiana Tech is the fact that BartTorvik rates the squad as the best road team in C-USA play by a wide margin. This is key for a tournament that is played at a neutral site.
Best Bet: Sam Houston State +500
I know I touched on how the regular-season champion hasn’t won this tournament often recently, but I can’t turn down this price on Sam Houston State. The Bearkats stack up similarly to Louisiana Tech metrically and have the easier path.
Outside of those top two teams, the next best is WKU, which is on Tech’s side of the bracket. There is a sizable gap in quality between SHSU and its closest competitor in the top half of the tournament bracket.
I also love how the Bearkats have closed the campaign. Since the start of February, BartTorvik has rated them as the best team in Conference USA.
This is also the same squad that beat Louisiana Tech in both regular-season games. I have to take this price on a team that I believe will make the championship game.
Favorite Longshot: Jacksonville State +2500
As I mentioned above, I’m attacking this side of the bracket with my best bets. Outside of SHSU, I have multiple factors that lead me to Jacksonville State as my favorite longshot in the Conference USA Tournament preview.
For starters, the Gamecocks beat the Bearkats at the beginning of February. They also swept the two games against a Liberty team they could face in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, JSU also stacks up well against the other teams in the top half of the bracket. Whether you look at games since February or road conference contests, the Gamecocks are right in line with Liberty, UTEP, and even Sam Houston State.
It also helps to have a coach in Ray Harper, who has had success in league tournaments. He won the Sun Belt Conference Tournament twice while at WKU and added another title with JSU in the Ohio Valley Conference.
I expect the Gamecocks to handle FIU in the opening round before giving Sam Houston State a battle. If they get past them, the momentum will start to build in Huntsville for a magical run.
Even More College Basketball Content
SGPN has you covered with all the best college basketball content. Our team of degens, experts, and handicappers have been diving deep to know all the teams in advance of March Madness.
So, who are you going to roll with as we get into the Conference and NCAA Tournaments? Some Johnny-Come-Lately Corporate Gambling Shill, or the Degens.
We are LIVE every night at midnight Eastern, breaking down EVERY SINGLE GAME. Ride with Degen Nation, and SGPN will not let you down.
