The Missouri Valley Conference is starting to look like there is a handful of teams with the capabilities of stealing an NCAA Tournament bid when Arch Madness gets underway. Thursday night sees two teams with those capabilities square off.
The Belmont Bruins (22-4, 12-3 MVC) are trying not to give any ground in the conference race when they welcome the Northern Iowa Panthers (16-9, 8-6 MVC) to the Curb Event Center Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
If you are looking for some betting advice for the matchup, we’ve got you covered. Here are the latest odds for the game, courtesy of DraftKings.
Northern Iowa vs. Belmont betting odds
College basketball odds via DraftKings
- Spread: Belmont -5.5 (-102), UNI +5.5 (-118)
- Money Line: Belmont -225, UNI +185
- Over-Under: Over 137.5 (-112), Under 137.5 (-108)
Northern Iowa vs. Belmont prediction, pick
Is Belmont going to come back to the field in the Missouri Valley? The Bruins dropped one on the road to Bradley and own just a two-game lead over the Braves and Murray State for the No. 1 seed in Arch Madness as we come down the stretch.
In the way of getting back on track is a Northern Iowa team in the midst of a three-game winning streak, which is trying to make a late-season charge and run in the Missouri Valley. The Panthers have to slow down Belmont’s offense in this one, something they are excelling at right now.
Northern Iowa has allowed 55, 49, and 60 points in the last three games, all of which have been wins, including a dominant 89-60 explosion over Murray State most recently.
Belmont’s Tyler Lundblade is the key to the offense, averaging 15.5 points per game and closing in on 40% from three-point range. He is going to need Sam Orme, Drew Scharnowski, and Nic McClain to pour in some buckets, with the focus being on him.
For the Panthers, Trey Campbell starts things, but the trio of forwards, Leon Bond III, Will Hornseth, and Ben Schwieger, are the ones Northern Iowa needs.
With the pressure on Belmont and the seat getting hot atop the Missouri Valley, they find a way to gut out a tough one against Northern Iowa, who makes them earn it for all 40 minutes.
Prediction: Belmont 74, Northern Iowa 66
Best Bet: Belmont -5.5
How to watch Northern Iowa vs. Belmont
Time: 9 p.m. ET
Streaming: ESPN+
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