In an opening-round matchup, No. 4 Auburn will take on No. 13 Charleston, which is making its first March Madness appearance since 1999. If the spread for the game is any indication — 10 points favoring Auburn — Charleston shouldn’t be expected to stick around very long. The Tigers have been a BIG MONEY bet in this spot as they’ve covered in 11 of their last 15 games as a double-digit favorite.
- Auburn is 7-1 SU in its last eight games after a loss.
- Charleston is 0-13 SU in its last 13 games as a double-digit underdog.
- Charleston is 5-1 SU on a neutral court this season.
Auburn has also been on hiatus from the NCAA Tournament for a while, as the Tigers haven’t appeared in March Madness since 2003, but they’re coming off their best regular season since 1998-99. They come into the tournament cold, however, as they’ve lost four of their last six games and have failed to cover the spread in four straight.
The Cougars, on the other hand, are red-hot and are fresh off a Colonial Athletic Association conference tournament win to go along with 14 wins in their last 15 games. This is undoubtedly a huge step up in competition for them and they haven’t been especially strong as an underdog, going 2-8 SU and 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games in that situation.
The total for the game is hovering in the 149-point range and the OVER has been the way to go in Cougars games as it’s hit in eight of their last 10 games. Auburn ranks 16th in the nation with 83.38 points per game and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Tigers light up Charleston.
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
Supporters of the College of Charleston Cougars have watched them go 26-7 and 14-15-1 ATS on the college basketball season, while the Auburn Tigers are at 25-7 and 19-11 ATS. In totals betting, the Tigers are 15-15, while the Cougars have a 17-12-1 mark.
The Power Rankings at OddsShark show No. 119-rated Charleston taking on No. 10-rated Auburn in this contest.
Statistical Matchup
Scoring and defensive stats point to some betting edges in this matchup. The game features Auburn's No. 16-ranked scoring average of 83.38 PPG, against a Charleston defense rated No. 68 and allowing 68.76 PPG. The Tigers' FG% has averaged 43.9% to date this season, less than the Cougars shooters have managed so far (45.98% per game).
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Charleston got 32 points from Joe Chealey en route to a 83-76 victory over Northeastern on Tuesday at North Charleston Coliseum.
The Tigers got 18 points from Mustapha Heron, but it was Alabama that prevailed in a 81-63 final on Friday at Scottrade Center.
