Posted on 3/17/2008 7:27:13 PM

NCAA March Madness Betting - Coppin State vs. Mount St. Mary's

By Charles Jay

BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds: Mount St. Mary's -7, Total 127

The Eagles of Coppin State (16-20 SU, 2-1 ATS), which received perhaps the unlikeliest of NCAA tournament bids, finds itself participating in the "play-in" game on Tuesday night when they face off against the Mountaineers of Mount St. Mary's (18-14 SU, 1-0 ATS) in the very first game of the 2008 NCAA tournament, tipping off at 7:30 PM ET at the Dayton Arena.

In the BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds, Mount St. Mary's is listed as a seven-point favorite, with a total of 127 points.

Here are some of the NCAA college basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* COP has won 12 of its last 13 games SU

This play-in game will reward the winner with something not so appetizing - an almost certain early exit against North Carolina, the #1 overall seed, in the first official round of play.

Mount St. Mary's won the Northeast Conference title with a win over Sacred Heart in the tournament. This completed a turnaround from a 20-loss season the year before. The Mountaineers had some competitive efforts (against LaSalle and Oregon) and some not-so-competitive efforts (against American, George Washington and Oklahoma). There is a potent guard tandem of Chris Vann and Jeremy Goode, who average 28 points between them. But there is no imposing size or much in the way of three-point threats.

Coppin State, the first team to reach the NCAA tournament with 20 losses, has had what is actually a remarkable season. The Eagles front-loaded their schedule with a lot of good teams. In fact, it was kind of astounding, with road games at Kent State, Xavier, Arizona State, Ohio State, Dayton (on this very court), Marquette and Indiana, as well as a home game against Morgan State, all during a 34-day period. That's eight teams who are playing in the post-season.

The result was a 4-19 start, which got reversed to a certain extent after the first of February. Now, with 12 wins in the last 13 games, this is a team that was simply toughened up by that non-conference schedule. Tywain McKee is the only starter in double figures (16.6 ppg), but he's hitting almost 45% from beyond the arc. And five players are averaging between five and nine points per game. What this team lacks in size (no starter over 6'7") it makes up for in experience, with four senior starters.

We like the momentum Coppin State has created, and think there is some extra value in the number due to its 20-loss record. We'll grab the points with the Eagles, the seven-point underdog in the BetUS March Madness betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: COPPIN STATE

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(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com gives it the old college try as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)