Auburn Tigers vs Jacksonville St. Gamecocks Point Spread Picks

The Auburn Tigers bring in a 27-5 record to this game. The Tigers spent a few weeks as the #1 team in the country, but they have not been the same team down the stretch. The Tigers started the season at 22-1, but in their final 9 games, they went 5-4. Jacksonville St. has played their best basketball down the stretch, as they finished on a 5-1 run. This is a very strong defensive team that has not allowed any of their last 9 opponents to shoot better than 45% from the field. The Gamecocks have also done well off the glass as they have bested 6 of their last 7 opponents off the boards. I don't think they have enough to win here, but the line is way too high, and these desperate nothing to lose NCAA Tournament teams can be a handful as they play to survive and make history. Make the play on Jacksonville St.

Jacksonville State was a 17-game winner last season, and has started at 0-4. They do have weapons in a 1000 points scorer, and  Darion Rackley who is scoring 16.8 points per game. Auburn has a long way to go to be competitive in the SEC, as they had a complete breakdown in their last game vs. lowly Northwestern State, as they allowed 72 second half points in an ugly 111-92 loss. The coaching staff has placed the emphasis on defense, and although I expect Auburn to make the adjustments, I still have to question the solid chalk line they are carrying in this one. The Gamecocks are 15-7 ATS in their last 22 outside the conference, and a perfect 4-0 ATS vs. the SEC. The Tigers take a confidence hit after a loss, where they are 0-9 ATS. Take the points and play on Jacksonville State.