Teams unbeaten in December clash in nonconference action when the Chattanooga Mocs battle the Belmont Bruins on Wednesday, December 15. The Mocs (9-1), who have won four in a row, are coming off a 104-55 thrashing of Tennessee Wesleyan on Sunday. The Bruins (8-3), who have won three straight and five of six, defeated Saint Louis 64-59 last Tuesday. This will be the eighth meeting between the teams, but first since 2005. Chattanooga leads the all-time series 5-2, including a 2-1 mark on the road.
Tipoff from the Curb Event Center in Nashville, Tenn., is set for 6 p.m. ET. The Bruins are 6.5-point favorites in the latest Chattanooga vs. Belmont odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 139. Before making any Chattanooga vs. Belmont picks, make sure you check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,400 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Chattanooga vs. Belmont and just released its CBB picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Chattanooga vs. Belmont:
- Chattanooga vs. Belmont spread: Belmont -6.5
- Chattanooga vs. Belmont over-under: 139 points
- CHAT: The Mocs are 14-3 against the spread in their last 17 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game
- BEL: The Bruins are 5-0 ATS in their last five games against a team with a winning percentage above .600
Why Belmont can cover
The Bruins return 97 percent of their offensive production and minutes from last season, led by All-Ohio Valley Conference standouts senior center Nick Muszynski and fifth-year senior guard Grayson Murphy. Muszynski leads the team in scoring at 17 points per game and is also averaging 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and two blocks. He has reached double figures in 10 of 11 games this season, including in each of the last six games. He scored a season-high 31 points in a 74-69 win over Drake, and registered a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds in a 95-89 overtime win over Furman on Nov. 15.
Murphy, who leads the team in assists at 5.5 per game, averages 8.6 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.2 steals. He was two rebounds and an assist away from recording a triple-double when he finished with 14 points in the win at Saint Louis last week. For the season, Murphy has reached double-digit scoring three times, including a season-high 17 points against Furman. He is a two-time OVC Defensive Player of the Year.
Why Chattanooga can cover
Redshirt sophomore guard Malachi Smith has been nothing short of spectacular on the road, averaging 24.8 points in five away games. Overall, he is averaging 18.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals. He is red hot from the floor, connecting on 51.6 percent of his field goals, including 45.7 percent of his 3-pointers, and 84.6 percent of his free throws. He has scored in double figures in eight games this season, including five games with 20 or more. He has scored 28 points twice this year, at Tennessee Tech on Nov. 30 and at UNC Asheville on Dec. 8.
Also powering the Mocs is redshirt senior David Jean-Baptiste, who is averaging 15 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Jean-Baptiste is also one of the most accurate shooters on the team, connecting on 43.6 percent of his field goals, including 43.4 percent from beyond the arc. He also is a 93.8 percent foul shooter. He has reached double figures in eight of 10 games, including a season-high 26 points in an opening night 75-64 win over Loyola Marymount on Nov. 9.
How to make Chattanooga vs. Belmont picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the pointtotal. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in over 80 percent of simulations. You can only get the model's Belmont vs. Chattanooga pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Chattanooga vs. Belmont? And which side of the spread hits in over 80 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Chattanooga vs. Belmont spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $2,400 on its college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.