Furman vs. ETSU Prediction, Odds for for SoCon Championship Final

Another berth in the NCAA Tournament will be clinched tonight when the Furman Paladins take on the East Tennessee State Buccaneers in the SoCon Championship Final.

East Tennessee State entered the tournament as the No. 1 seed, getting past The Citadel and Western Carolina en route to the final. Meanwhile, Furman upset No. 3 Samford in the quarterfinals, and then got by No. 7 UNC Greensboro in the semifinals. Now, the No. 6 seed has a chance to win the conference tournament.

Let's dive into the odds and my best bet for tonight's final.

Furman vs. East Tennessee State Odds, Spread, and Total

Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

Spread

Furman +1.5 (-110)
Eats Tennessee State -1.5 (-110)

Moneyline

Furman +104
East Tennessee State -125

Total

OVER 138.5 (-110)
UNDER 138.5 (-110)

Furman vs. East Tennessee State How to Watch

Date: Monday, March 9
Game Time: 7:00 pm ET
Venue: Harrah's Cherokee Center
How to Watch (TV): ESPN
Furman Record: 21-12 (10-8 in SoCon)
East Tennessee State Record: 23-10 (13-5 in SoCon)

Furman vs. East Tennessee State Betting Trends

The OVER is 5-2 in Furman's last seven games
The OVER is 10-0 in Furman's last 10 games played in March
East Tennessee State is 1-4 ATS in its last five games
The OVER is 9-3 in East Tennessee State's last 12 games

Furman vs. East Tennessee State Key Player to Watch

Blake Barkley, F - East Tennessee State Buccaneers

Blake Barkley is not only leading East Tennessee State in points per game, averaging 14.6, but he's also the team's leader in rebounds, averaging 5.9. Furman kept him in check in the February 4 matchup between these two teams, holding him to shooting just 30.8% from the field. He needs to have a better performance in tonight's big rematch.

Furman vs. East Tennessee State Prediction and Pick

In today's edition of Daily Dunk, I wrote about why I'm backing East Tennessee State:

The winner of today's SoCon Championship Final will earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament, and I'm surprised to see the East Tennessee State Buccaneers set as just 1.5-point favorites against the No. 6 seed.

The Buccaneers are better in virtually every area across the board. They rank 36th in effective field goal percentage, 87th in defensive efficiency, and 141st in effective possession ratio. By comparison, Furman ranks 54th, 161st, and 238th in those three metrics.

It's also worth noting that Furman is a 3-point shooting team, but East Tennessee State ranks inside the top 100 teams in the country in perimeter defense, keeping teams to shooting just 32.7% from beyond the arc.

Pick: East Tennessee State -1.5 (-110)

Claim the FanDuel Sportsbook promo code offer to get up to $3,000 in bonus bets. Simply sign up, make a deposit and you will receive up to $300 in bonus bets for losing bets for 10 consecutive days.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

You can check out all of Iain's bets here!