A Legends Classic Championship battle takes place tonight when Auburn and St. Bonaventure meet up at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Auburn got here via a blowout win over Notre Dame and what head coach Bruce Pearl called the Tigers' "most complete performance of the season." Auburn opened up a double-digit lead over the Irish early in the first half and would never look back.
The contest for the Bonnies was much more different. It was a close battle with Oklahoma State that was decided when St. Bonaventure survived a last-second 3-pointer from the Cowboys to win by a single point.
Who will get the win in this one? What's the best bet in the college basketball odds for this matchup? Find out in our free college basketball picks and predictions for Friday, November 17.
St. Bonaventure vs Auburn best odds
St. Bonaventure vs Auburn picks and predictions
If it's not broken, there's no need to fix it. Last night, we cashed our Under bet when Auburn and Notre Dame faced off. Though that handicap was primarily built on Notre Dame and not Auburn, we have a similar setup tonight. Considering that, we're on the Under as our best bet tonight.
"I told my guys that they've been looking forward to this tournament and getting a chance to play against the three teams that came to their town or their state," Pearl said about Bonnie's matchup. "So this is a game they're going to play tomorrow like they're fighting for their NCAA tournament lives."
And it's true. Objectively, this game will mean much more for St. Bonaventure than for Auburn. A win here gives them a nice feather in their cap for a potential NCAA Tournament resume later in the year. The Tigers will have plenty of opportunities to build that resume in the ahead SEC tilts. With that in mind, I'd expect the defensive intensity to be at its highest level, and that's saying something, given what we saw yesterday.
It's a defense for Bonaventure that has now cracked the Top 100 of KenPom after an impressive defensive performance yesterday. Granted, the Oklahoma State offense leaves much more to be desired, but holding any Power Five program to less than a point per possession is an impressive feat. They should be able to cause various problems for Auburn in this matchup.
The Tigers' transition offense is lacking, so speeding this up may not be the best idea for Auburn, even if it may want to. In the halfcourt, the Bonnies should be able to do a decent job of at least slowing down Auburn.
On the other side of the ball, there have been few efficient modes of offense for Bonaventure. But when they've been successful, it's generally been through dribble penetration through Mika-Adams Woods. Lacking athleticism and overall talent, they won't be nearly as successful in that penetration as they have been in the early season. In addition, Auburn has been off to a solid start in the halfcourt, especially when defending the pick-and-roll. They enter this one holding options to a sparkling .60 points per possession on such sets.
On one end, Bonaventure should do a decent job of muddying this one up. They force teams to work to score in the halfcourt, and the last game against Oklahoma State was an excellent example of that. On the other hand, Auburn will limit Bonaventure's primary mode of offense, forcing a team that is already methodical in its approach to work even deeper in the shot clock. I have about a 10% edge against the projected total, and I'm happily taking it.
My best bet: Under 142.5 (-110 at FanDuel)
St. Bonaventure vs Auburn same-game parlay
Under 142.5
KD Johnson Under 8.5 points
We're grabbing this best bet and pairing it with a highly correlated player prop.
Although we like Auburn to take care of business, it should be tough sledding for KD Johnson. He's only gone over this number once this season, and it came against lowly Southeastern Louisiana. It's not happening here against such a stingy defense.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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St. Bonaventure vs Auburn spread and Over/Under analysis
Auburn should get the job done here. There is too large of a talent gap, and it's hard to imagine the Bonnies scoring enough to get the win here. That doesn't mean the Tigers won't have to battle for it, but in the end, they should prevail.
The spread opened at 10.5 and took small action to the Bonnies, settling around 10 everywhere. I projected this line at 9.5 and would lean toward taking Auburn. However, this game should mostly be played in a window of two to three possessions because I expect it to be low-scoring. Getting in here at a number of 6 or less seems possible, and something that I'd be much more inclined to bet.
I'm on the Under this evening. St. Bonaventure has had a 2-0 Under run, and given how much it'll be forced to work into the shot clock tonight, I see no reason they won't make it three straight.
St. Bonaventure vs Auburn betting trend to know
St. Bonaventure has only hit the moneyline in 15 of their last 32 games (-7.55 Units / -13% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for St. Bonaventure vs. Auburn.
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St. Bonaventure vs Auburn game info
| Location: | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY |
| Date: | Friday, November 17, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN |
St. Bonaventure vs Auburn key injuries
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