The third automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament will be on the line on Sunday afternoon in the Big South Conference Championship game as the No. 7-seeded Campbell Fighting Camels take on the top-seeded UNC Asheville Bulldogs.
Campbell finished the regular season 13-17 overall and 8-10 in Big South play. It pulled off back-to-back upsets to find itself in this conference title game. UNC Asheville finished the regular season at 25-7 and 16-2 in Big South play. The Bulldogs also swept Campbell in the regular season.
Which Big South team will clinch the third berth into the field of 68 Read our college basketball betting picks below to find out.
UNC Asheville vs Campbell best odds
UNC Asheville vs Campbell picks and predictions
The UNC Asheville Bulldogs won the first two matchups in the regular season by a score of 58-55 in Asheville and 78-65 in Buies Creek. Now, they'll meet in the middle in Charlotte, NC with all the marbles on the line. However, it's always tough to beat a team three times in a season.
UNC Asheville already did so with Charleston Southern but failed to cover the spread in the third game. They have failed to cover in both of their conference tournament games thus far.
Meanwhile, the Campbell Fighting Camels have already avenged their regular-season sweeps against both Longwood and Radford, refusing to lose for a third time to each of those teams.
Campbell has not lost by more than four points in a game since losing at Longwood on February 4. It has thrived playing close games in the past month and despite having three losses in its past eight games, the Fighting Camels have outscored their opponents 593-549 in those matchups.
Anthony Dell’Orso has been a machine for the Fighting Camels here in Charlotte. He's averaging 19.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and shooting 47.2% from the field in the Big South tournament. He only scored a combined five points in the previous two matchups with UNC Asheville this season.
However, that should not discourage him, as he only managed 10 total points in two games against Longwood before dropping 20 on Friday. Dell’Orso has been a much bigger contributor to the Fighting Camels since early February and it has led to much better success for Campbell.
UNC Asheville has not been sharp so far in this tournament and it was fortunate to escape the semifinals with a victory. Campbell, on the other hand, has been red hot and that's what it takes to win come tournament time.
I like the Fighting Camels to pull off the upset and head to Dayton to play in the First Four.
My best bet: Campbell +4.5 (-110 at DraftKings)
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UNC Asheville vs Campbell spread analysis
Campbell is an excellent shooting team, despite its inability to get off very many shots. They rank 74th in field goal percentage and 30th in 2-point field goal percentage, despite ranking just 355th in field goal attempts and 232nd in points per game.
Campbell likes to slow the game down and limit field goal attempts and rely on efficiency and defense. UNC Asheville is very similar, only it's done so at a more consistent level throughout the season. The Bulldogs rank 27th in FG%, 91st in 2-point FG%, seventh in 3-point FG%, but 324th in FG attempts.
The Fighting Camels are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games overall and 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS win. They're also 4-0 ATS in their last four games against winning teams. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are 0-4-1 ATS in their last five neutral site games.
In a slower-paced game, I'd typically like the more talented team to come out on top. However, Campbell is the hotter team and has a better track record in neutral-site games. Regardless, this game will be very close and come down to the final possession.
UNC Asheville vs Campbell Over/Under analysis
In the KenPom rankings, UNC Asheville ranks 123rd in adjusted tempo and 203rd in adjusted offensive efficiency. Meanwhile, Campbell ranks 318th in adjusted tempo and 184th in adjusted offensive efficiency. This calls for a lower-scoring game.
The Under is 5-1 in the Fighting Camels' last six games in the third game of a three-in-five-days situation. Meanwhile, the Under is 4-0 in the Bulldogs' last four neutral-site games. The first matchup this season combined for 113 total points and the second combined for 143 total points.
Considering this is a title game with so much on the line, I'd expect the scoring to start a little slow. Given that neither team likes to play up-tempo and shots will be at a premium, the final score could also wind up rather low. I'd lean towards the Under here.
UNC Asheville vs Campbell betting trend to know
The Fighting Camels are 5-0 ATS in their last five games following a win. Find more college basketball betting trends for UNC Asheville vs. Campbell.
UNC Asheville vs Campbell game info
| Conference: | Big South Conference Championship |
| Location: | Bojangles' Stadium, Charlotte, NC |
| Date: | Sunday, March 5, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 1:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN2 |
