There’s certainly no shortage of sports betting action today despite the short college hoops slate. It’s NFL Championship Weekend and we’ve got you covered with a pair of in-depth handicaps on the gridiron. After a much-needed day off from pounding away on the keyboard, I’m back with a solo shot on the Road Dog Report for 1/19/2020.
(855) South Dakota State @ South Dakota -1.5
The 14-7 South Dakota State Jackrabbits roll into Vermillion for an intrastate showdown with the 11-8 South Dakota Coyotes. State is pretty damn hot right now, having rattled off five straight wins. The Jackrabbits sit atop the Summit League standings at 5-1, while the Coyotes have some work to do in conference with a 2-3 record.
South Dakota State has been a force on their home court where they are a perfect 11-0. Today, however, they find themselves at the Sanford Center where the Coyotes are impressive in their own rights at 7-2. If you dive into State’s schedule, you see that most of those seven losses came against strong opponents like Colorado State, Indiana, Arizona, and Southern Cal. They rebounded nicely from a close loss at Omaha to start Summit League play with five straight wins. South Dakota’s only wins in league play came at home. They snuck by Denver as 12.5-point favorites but turned around and soundly beat Omaha by ten points as a 4-point favorite.
In-State Showdown
The Coyotes need to break State’s run of four straight wins in the series between them. They are loaded with upperclassmen that can certainly get it done this afternoon. 6’10” Tyler Hagedorn and 6’6″ Stanley Umude lead the way for this stacked five-man rotation. Hagedorn is averaging almost 27 PPG and 7 RPG in the five Summit League games. Not only is the guy tough in the low post, he is a threat on the perimeter (42-80 from downtown).
Despite being quiet in the Denver game, Stanley Umude has delivered with a 20.6 PPG average in conference play. The Hagedorn-Umude duo is essentially half of the Coyotes’ offense and is pivotal to their success. Kelley and Peterson do most of their damage at home, so don’t be surprised if these two have double-digit scoring days as well.
Coach Eric Henderson runs a deeper rotation but has come to rely on 6’7″ freshman Doug Wilson to carry State offensively. The Jackrabbits got a scare in their last game when Wilson suffered a leg injury but he appears to be good to go for today. Wilson is critical to this team’s success despite anything you’d hear otherwise. This is a young, but deep, South Dakota State squad that has seen guys like 6’8″, 250-pound Matt Dentlinger step up on both ends of the court. However, Wilson and Dentlinger will have their hands full today with Hagerdorn and Umude.
Both teams are willing and able to shoot the three-pointer, adding volatility to the handicap. South Dakota State earned its way onto the Road Dog Report for 1/19/2020 by being extremely efficient in league play. They’re hitting their shots – inside and outside – and have dominated the boards. All of this will be challenged by a tough and experienced Coyotes squad that has been perfect in Vermillion. State’s tendency to foul their opponents is my biggest concern this afternoon if it stays tight coming out of halftime. The big men will most likely dictate this. Regardless, I rate the Jackrabbits about 6-7 points better on a neutral court.
On the Money
South Dakota State’s 14-5 ATS record has been very good for their backers this season. The luster comes off a bit when they’re away from home, putting up a 6-4 ATS record on the road. After their close loss as a 1-point dog at Omaha to start league play, they’ve won and covered their last five. State is a decent 4-3 ATS in the Road Dog role after starting 1-2 ATS as such.
The Coyotes’s 6-10-1 ATS record has lagged their overall mark. Their 7-2 home record is slightly less spectacular because those results translate to 3-3-1 ATS. The line flipped from a SD +1 opener and is short at SD -1.5 this morning. With such a short number, it essentially comes down to who wins the game outright. The Jackrabbits have their work cut out for them in Vermillion, but I’ll trust my ratings and take the +1.5 with South Dakota State. BOL today!
