Posted at 4:15 PM EST odds are subject to change.

Pinnacle +9 -110   BET365  +9 -110 Sportsinteraction +9 -110 888Sport +9 -110

Beeghly Center, Youngstown, OH

Streaming: ESPN+

Detroit Mercy +9 over Youngstown St

8:00 PM EST. You can throw out the seeding here because the Horizon League is wide open this year, and anyone can take home the conference’s at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament. That said, the Penguins of Youngstown State are the top seeds in the Horizon Tourney, and with that comes a ton of pressure and the attention of the market.

The Penguins finished the year at 23-8 (15-5 in the Horizon), but they played a weak non-conference schedule that ranked just 306 of the 363 graded schools in Division I. That tidy record is built on the back of the cupcake buffet. The Penguins beat up on the likes of Canisius, UT Martin, Western Illinois, UC San Diego, and Westminster (PA) during their non-conference slate. During conference play, the Penguins were somewhat exposed, but not to the point where an unsuspecting market has taken a stand in this game, as this line is only moving in one direction—up.

The Titans of Detroit Mercy are the #8 seeds in the Horizon, but they are just as capable as any other team in the field to take home the golden ticket to the NCAAs. The Titans’ stock is down as they’ve only hit pay dirt in two of their last seven games, including just one of their last four. That lack of success may be driving off the market, but it sets us up with the opportunity to take back inflated points in a game that the Titans are very capable of winning.

When these two teams played here in Youngstown at the end of January, Detroit Mercy held the Penguins to just 25 points in the first half. The Titans were an 8½-point underdog in that 73-63 loss, but they were not outclassed nor were they out of their league. In their first meeting of the year in Detroit, the Titans were just a 2-point pooch, losing that game by five (84-79). Third time is a charm. We’ll snap up this significant pile of points, but do not be shocked if the Titans upset the Penguins and send them packing.

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