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Tennessee Tech heads to Saint Charles on Thursday night to face Lindenwood at Hyland Arena in a matchup where the market is leaning heavily toward the home side. Lindenwood has been strong in this building and is laying -8.5 despite coming off a loss, while Tennessee Tech is priced as a clear underdog based on overall consistency and results. With the total sitting at 150.5, oddsmakers are still expecting enough offense for this to be played in the mid-70s, which makes the spread more about whether Tennessee Tech can keep scoring steady enough to avoid the kind of drought that allows a home favorite to stretch a lead. This game sets up as a classic home-form versus road-resilience handicap. Lindenwood

Merrimack heads to New Rochelle on Thursday night for a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference matchup against Iona at the Hynes Athletics Center. The market is essentially calling this a pick’em with a half-point attached, which usually means the handicap comes down to a couple of key levers, shot volume, free throws, and which team is more stable late in a one-possession game. Both teams have identical 12-8 records, and both have shown they can win in different environments, so you’re not looking at a major talent gap. You’re looking at who plays cleaner basketball for longer. This matchup is also priced in a way that suggests a fairly normal scoring environment, with the total at 143.5. That number matters because

South Florida heads to Birmingham on Thursday night for an American Athletic Conference matchup against UAB at Bartow Arena, with the market making the Bulls a short road favorite. That tells you oddsmakers are buying South Florida’s offensive ceiling and free throw profile more than UAB’s home court, even though the Blazers have been competitive in their own building. With a tight spread and a high total, this game is priced for pace, shot volume, and a fourth quarter that could come down to free throws and late-game execution. The total at 166.5 is the first thing that jumps off the screen. That number implies both teams get comfortable offensively and the possession count stays elevated for 40 minutes. South

Western Illinois heads to Morehead on Thursday night for a conference matchup at Ellis T. Johnson Arena, and the market is clearly leaning toward the home team. Morehead State has been strong in its own building, while Western Illinois has struggled to string together results away from home. With the Eagles laying -9 and the total set at 139.5, this game is being priced as a controlled tempo matchup where Morehead’s efficiency and defense can separate over 40 minutes. The betting question comes down to whether Western Illinois can score well enough to stay attached. The Leathernecks have shown they can produce individual scoring bursts, but they have not consistently defended at a level that travels, and that is the