The Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs and Colorado State Rams lift the lid on their respective seasons Monday in Fort Collins. Tip-off at Moby Arena is slated for 9 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Gardner-Webb vs. Colorado State odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Gardner-Webb went 18-13 last season. The Bulldogs went 11-5 in Big South conference play to finish with the No. 3 seed in that conference tournament. GWU heads into this season a bit younger and without a pair of 14-point scorers from a year ago (G D’Maurian Williams — 14.5 points per game and G Lance Terry — 14.3 PPG).
The Rams have had 3 straight 20-win seasons under coach Niko Medved, who led the squad to a 25-6 mark last season. Colorado State went 14-4 in Mountain West conference play to finish with the No. 2 seed in the MWC tournament. The Rams would eventually earn an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
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Gardner-Webb at Colorado State odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated 10:16 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Gardner-Webb +340 (bet $100 to win $340) | Colorado State -500 (bet $500 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Gardner-Webb +9.5 (-115) | Colorado State -9.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 136.5 (O: -112 | U: -112)
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Gardner-Webb at Colorado State picks and predictions
Prediction
Colorado State 74, Gardner-Webb 62
Moneyline
Colorado State (-500) should pick up the victory in its home opener, but the moneyline is lacking value. PASS.
Against the spread
The Rams will need to replace star F David Roddy (19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game last season), who is now with the Memphis Grizzlies. However, CSU still returns a big chunk of minutes from last year’s team and is loaded with upperclassmen heading into the 2022-23 campaign.
The Bulldogs can be a bit loose with the basketball. The Rams generally take care of the ball and figure to be the superior shooting team from distance.
Medved’s 2021-22 team opened with a 29-point win vs. Oral Roberts Nov. 9, and that victory was part of an 11-0 start to the season. The year prior, the Rams won their 1st Division I game by 41 points, and the year before that by 11 points.
BACK THE RAMS -9.5 (-105). There’s a lot of juice here, but Colorado State is on the value side of the whole equation. A win by 12 or more points is more likely than a game in the 5-8-point range, and CSU is a rising program worth early-season dollars.
Over/Under
STEER CLEAR.
This contest sets up as one with an average pace, and the 2-sided pay-in of 24 cents makes for a show not worth seeing in the first place.
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