The Tennessee State Tigers take on the Morehead State Eagles in the OVC Tournament Championship on Saturday, March 7. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Tennessee State is favored by 5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -220. Morehead State, meanwhile, enters as a +5 underdog and is +180 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 147 total points.
Here are my Tennessee State vs Morehead State predictions and college basketball picks for Saturday, March 7.
Tennessee State vs Morehead State Prediction
My Pick: Tennessee State -4 (Play to -5)
My Morehead St vs Tenn St best bet is on the Tigers to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Tennessee State vs Morehead State Odds, Spread
| Tennessee State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5 -115 | 145.5 -110o / -110u | -220 |
| Morehead State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5 -105 | 145.5 -110o / -110u | +180 |
- Tennessee State vs Morehead State Spread: Tennessee State -5
- Tennessee State vs Morehead State Over/Under: 145.5 points
- Tennessee State vs Morehead State Moneyline: Tennessee State -220, Morehead State +180
Tennessee State vs Morehead State NCAAB Betting Preview
Tennessee State Basketball
Tennessee State rolled over UT Martin for the third time this season in the semifinals.
TSU’s biggest schematic strength is its switchable defense, led by menacing wing Aaron Nkrumah.
The Tigers’ rotation is loaded with rangy wings and versatile forwards, allowing first-year coach Nolan Smith to blend different lineups while not conceding a defensive advantage.
The only smaller player in the rotation is former Georgetown, Virginia and Memphis point guard Dante Harris; you might remember him from his heroics at the 2021 (yes, 2021) Big East Tournament.
Tennessee State is more athletic and should win the shot volume battle thanks to its own work on the offensive glass (and Morehead’s dire defensive rebounding) and its harrowing perimeter pressure.
Nkrumah, Harris, Jalen Pitre and Antoine Lorick help TSU rank 13th nationally in steal rate.
Morehead State Basketball
In the semifinals, Morehead did what it spent the entire OVC season doing: defying the odds to pick up a huge win.
The Eagles trailed SEMO for essentially the entire game, taking their first lead in the entire second half with under a minute to play. They held SEMO without a point for the final 2:30 to sneak into the final.
Morehead is all midrange and downhill offensively, completely bereft of perimeter shooting outside of the inconsistent George Marshall.
They need offensive rebounds — mostly via Jon Carroll and Anouar Mellouk — to score efficiently.
The Eagles’ defense is awful, ranking ninth in the OVC and 316th nationally, per KenPom.
Tennessee State vs Morehead State Pick, Betting Analysis
Morehead and TSU split their regular-season meetings, and the stakes of the rubber match could not be higher.
Both meetings saw Tennessee State build a lead and Morehead State battle back, with each team ultimately winning on the road.
Despite Morehead having the air of a team of destiny, I will ride with Tennessee State to cover the spread in a quick turnaround spot, laying up to -5.
My Pick: Tennessee State -4 (Play to -5)
