Mount St. Mary’s vs. Texas Southern odds, picks and prediction

Previewing Thursday’s Mount St. Mary’s vs. Texas Southern odds and lines, with March Madness Round 1 picks and predictions.

The Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers (12-10) take on the Texas Southern Tigers (16-8) in the First Four round of the NCAA Tournament Thursday evening. The Mountaineers and Tigers will tip off at 5:10 p.m. ET at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind. Below, we analyze the Mount St. Mary’s-Texas Southern odds and lines, with March Madness NCAA Tournament picks and predictions.

Mount St. Mary’s advanced to the tournament by winning the Northeast Conference Tournament, and the Mountaineers head into Thursday’s game on a four-game win streak. MSMU sports a solid defense, one that has allowed just 62.3 points per game (17th NCAA-I). The Mountaineers are seeking a program-first NCAA tourney win.

Texas Southern is in the tournament for a fifth time since 2015, but the Tigers are making their first trip under HC Johnny Jones. The champions of the Southwest Athletic Conference play a fast-tempo brand of basketball. The Tigers hit the boards hard on the offensive end, frequently get to the foul line, and average a robust 74.8 points per game.

Mount St. Mary’s vs. Texas Southern: Odds, spread and lines

Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday at 4:15 p.m. ET.

  • Money line: Mount St. Mary’s -110 (bet $110 to win $100) | Texas Southern -110 (bet $110 to win $100)
  • Against the spread/ATS: Mount St. Mary’s +1 (-115) | Texas Southern -1 (-105)
  • Over/Under: 133 (O: -110 | U: -110)

PLAY: USA TODAY March Madness Bracket Game

March Madness betting promotions 

Current March Madness offers from BetMGM Sportsbook:

Bet $10 on the first round, RECEIVE A $10 FREE BET FOR EACH GAME PLAYED that day of the opening round. Bet now!

Bet $1 on any team’s money line, WIN $100 (in free bets) if ANY team hits a 3-pointer that day. Bet now!

Offers available in CO, IA, IN, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA and WV. New customer offers, terms and conditions apply.

Mount St. Mary’s vs. Texas Southern: Odds, lines, predictions and picks

Prediction

Mount St. Mary’s 70, Texas Southern 65

Money line (ML)

PASS on the flat-footed pick ’em tags. Mount St. Mary’s is a solid play for the outright win, but take the point as an insurance bonus.

Play our new, free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!

Against the spread (ATS)

This is a tortoise-and-the-hare match-up with MSMU (slow) and Texas Southern (fast) being near the far ends of the tempo continuum. The Tigers come out of a fast-pace SWAC and haven’t had much experience against the slowdown game. The Mountaineers have had games against teams that force a lot of possessions, and they’ve fared well in those games.

Look for Mount St. Mary’s rebounding and distance shooting edges to put the Mountaineers over the top.

BACK MOUNT ST. MARY’S +1 (-110).

Over/Under (O/U)

Both teams tote Over trends into this contest. But this tag looks accurate. Peg a slight lean on the Over (133, -110), but that’s about it.

Want some action on this game or others? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.

Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

More college sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:

Alabama / Auburn / Florida / Georgia / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Tennessee / Texas / USC / Wisconsin

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. This information is for entertainment purposes only. We make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content.

[lawrence-newsletter]

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1667]