The race for the Southern Conference championship is down to two teams, as Furman and Chattanooga will play for the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament out of the SoCon. Both of these teams have put together 20-win seasons, and have outlasted an underrated tournament field to get to this position. In our college basketball predictions for Monday night, we decide which of these teams is going to earn their spot in the big dance.
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Furman vs Chattanooga Betting Pick
This game will be played at 7:00 PM ET at Harrah’s Cherokee Center on Monday, March 7, 2022.
Why Bet On Chattanooga:
✅ Chattanooga has beaten Furman twice already this season, including once on the road. They have proven that they are more than capable of winning this matchup, and will do so again in order to secure their place in the NCAA Tournament.
✅ Furman showed some vulnerability late in their semifinal win over Samford, giving the Bulldogs multiple chances to tie the game late, which Samford was unable to take advantage of. Furman struggled with turning the ball over and with their free throws down the stretch, which they will not be able to afford against the top team in their conference.
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✅ The Mocs have the advantage of having Malachi Smith on their team, who is the only 20 point per game scorer on either team in this matchup. Smith shoots better than 50% on the floor this season, while also leading his team in assists, and he will be the difference maker between these two teams if the game is close.
Furman Paladins
Furman survived a scare from the third seeded Samford Bulldogs in their semifinal matchup in the SoCon tournament to reach the final. Jalen Slawson led the Paladins with 17 points in that game, helping them survive some nervy play down the stretch. Now, the Paladins will look to knock off the top seed in the SoCon in order to make it to the NCAA Tournament.
Concerning for Furman in the semifinals was the fact that they did not do a good job of defending Samford when Samford was able to get shots up. The Bulldogs shot 50% from the field and from three-point range in that game, but they bailed Furman out with 20 turnovers. Chattanooga is unlikely to commit a similar number of turnovers, and the Furman defense will have to be better at preventing made baskets.
Chattanooga Mocs
Chattanooga did not have a scare in the SoCon semifinals, beating Wofford by 23 points to get to the championship game. Malachi Smith led the team with 25 points, as he has looked every bit like the best player in this conference throughout this tournament. But all of that will be meaningless if the Mocs cannot get the last win required to secure the automatic bid out of the Southern Conference.
One thing the Mocs will look to do that they did in the semifinals is continue to rebound the basketball. They had a +12 advantage on the glass over Wofford in the semifinals, and a similar rebounding edge would make a huge difference in a game against Furman that is expected to be much closer.