North Texas Mean Green vs San Francisco Dons Point Spread Picks

This is the last game of the CBI Finals, crowning a champion with the series tied 1-1. You need balance, experience and defense in title games and San Francisco has all three, at fourth in the West Coast Conference in scoring, and fifth in points allowed. The Dons have four players scoring in double figures and plenty of rebounding depth with 6-9 Matt McCarthy (8 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game), 6-5 senior Chase Foster (10.3 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and 6-7 junior Nate Renfro (5.1 rpg). San Francisco got hot at the right time to get here, on a 10-4 SU run. That included a close loss at Gonzaga and a win over No. 15 St. Mary's (70-63) as a +9 dog. Six times this season they've played Top 20 teams (139 RPI ranking). They face a North Texas squad that hasn't faced any Top 20 teams all season (235 RPI ranking). The North Texas Mean Green are 5-8 straight-up the last 13 games. They shoot just 65.3% from the free throw line as a team and finished with a minus-turnover ratio in Conference USA play. North Texas had only eight wins last season and is not used to playing in pressure cooker games, while this San Francisco group has won at least 20 games in each of the last two seasons. Back the balanced and experienced underdog in this winner-take-all game. Play San Francisco. 

Kyle Smith has followed up a 20-13 season in his first year as coach in 2016-17 with a 21-15 record this season, and San Francisco has won seven of its last nine games, including its last three in the CBI Tournament. The Dons held Campbell to 36.5 percent shooting, five of 20 from 3-point range, and Frankie Ferrari scored a team-leading 18 points. Matt McCarthy finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds. North Texas has won three in a row, but previously had lost seven of eight. The Mean Green comes off a win over Jacksonville State while shooting an uncharacteristic 61.5 percent from the field, while averaging only 44.6 percent on the season. Look for North Texas to cool off for this matchup on the road. Play San Francisco.