Posted at 1:00 PM EST. Odds subject to change.

Pinnacle +6½ -111 BET365 +6½ -110 Sportsinteraction +6½ -110  888Sport +6½ -110

Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center, Grambling, LA

Arkansas Pine Bluff +6½ over Grambling State

8:30 PM EST. Both the Tigers of Grambling State and the Golden Lions of Arkansas Pine-Bluff enter this game at 8-11, and while there are many comparable qualities between the two schools, including both playing grinding non-conference schedules that were among the toughest ranked in the nation, there is a perception in the market that the Tigers are superior to the Golden Lions, but that is just not the case, as these two teams are far more even than the oddsmakers would have you believe.

Perhaps one reason for that warped perception is the fact that head coach Donte Jackson has led his team to a 5-1 record to begin Southwestern Athletic Conference play (SWAC) and sits tied with Alabama State in first place, or that his Tigers have won four straight and six of their last seven. It’s an impressive run on paper, but with several of those wins coming against their SWAC brethren like Mississippi Valley State (362), Bethune-Cookman (323), Prairie View A&M (314), Southern (233), and Florida A&M (344), as well as Division II the College Of Biblical Studies (COBS), a team, by the way, that lost by just 12 points in a game they should have won by 40.

For some perspective, the Lady Tigers smashed the COBS women 159-18. So yeah, the Tigers are winning, but they are beating dregs, and we’d be remiss if we didn’t note that Grambling State lost nine in a row, and while they did play some tough teams, they were embarrassed by Colorado (95-63), Iowa State (93-37), Dayton (76-46), and lost by double-digits to Sam Houston (18), Troy (13), Washington State (19), and Drake (68-56). Oh, by the way, the Tigers' other two non-conference wins came over two other DII schools in Champion Christian and North Texas-Dallas. If you are keeping track at home, the Tigers’ best win this season was against #233 Southern.

As they rack up the wins, the Tigers' stock also increases, as they were a -3-point favorite against Prairie View, a +1-point pooch to Texas Southern, -2½-point chalk at Florida A&M, and -1 over Southern two games ago. Now, Grambling State is -6½ over comparable conference competition. Win, lose, or draw, now is not the time to buy on the Tigers; now would be the time to sell. Make no mistake, the Golden Lions are very capable of winning this game outright, but the inflated points being offered up here are just too good to pass up.

Sherwood

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------