Three-Time Defending Champ Colgate Is The Patriot League Favorite
The 2024 Patriot League odds favors the three-time defending champs
Colgate Looks To Return to the NCAA Tournament Once Again
Colgate goes after an unprecedented fourth consecutive Patriot League title, with the 2024 Patriot League odds listing the Red Raiders as the favorite.
Colgate won the Patriot League regular-season title by four NCAAB games, with American, Boston University, Lafayette, and Lehigh tied for second place with 10-8 records.
The Patriot League tournament begins on Tuesday when Holy Cross plays at Army and Loyola (MD) is on the road to face Navy. Colgate, which will play every one of its tournament games at home, is the only Patriot League team with a winning record on the road this season.
When looking at the NCAAB betting lines, Lehigh leads the Patriot League with a 17-10 record against the spread this season.
The top two seeds have advanced to the Patriot League championship game once in the last four seasons.
Keep on reading for more on the Patriot League tournament.
Can Anybody Dethrone the 3-Time Defending Champions?
Colgate is looking to become the first team in the Patriot League to win four consecutive Patriot League titles.
The last time a team went into the tournament eyeing a 4-peat came in 2004 when three-time defending champion Holy Cross fell to Bucknell in the quarterfinals.
Colgate would be going after its sixth consecutive league title if not for a three-point loss to Boston University in the 2020 Patriot League championship game.
When looking at NCAAB scores, one thing to consider is that Colgate is just 6-6 this season against the spread at home.
The Red Raiders did lose at home to Lafayette and American University during the college basketball regular season.
If the seeds hold up, American would travel to Hamilton, New York to face Colgate in the semifinals.
Colgate did lose two of its top three scorers from last year’s team. Sophomore guard Braeden Smith is the leading scorer at 12.2 points per game for a team that is priced at -250 according to the 2024 Patriot League odds to make it four straight Patriot League titles.
Colgate was a No. 15 seed in last year’s March Madness bracket and fell to No. 2 seed Texas 81-61. The Red Raiders did throw a scare into Wisconsin in the 2022 NCAA tournament as a No. 14 seed.
A Look At The Other Contenders
American s Colgate as the only other Patriot League team with a winning record, while Boston University is coming into the tournament on a five-game winning streak.
The teams that finished 2-7 in the Patriot League standings were separated by just two games in the NCAAB standings, so things could get interesting in the bottom portion of the bracket.
Boston University is the No. 2 seed and would play at home in the quarterfinal and in the semifinals if the Terriers get that far. If Colgate happens to lose in either the quarterfinals or finals, BU could host the Patriot League final for the first time since 2014.
Boston University is currently at +800 in the 2024 Patriot League odds.
The two other teams at +800 to win the Patriot League are No. 4 seed American and No. 6 seed Lehigh, with third-seeded Lafayette priced at +1400 to win the Patriot League tournament for the first time since 2015.
It Is Win Or Else
The Patriot League is clearly going to be a one-bid league once again, as the Patriot League is 32nd out of 34 conferences in the conference RPI ratings.
Colgate leads the way among Patriot League teams at No. 131 in the NCAA NET rankings, with 18 of the wins by the Red Raiders coming against Quad 4 teams.
If Colgate doesn’t win the title, the Patriot League winner could very well land as a No. 16 seed in the March Madness bracket.
Lehigh is 273rd, American is 274th, Bucknell is 291st, and Boston University is 292nd in the NCAA NET rankings. Their reward for winning the Patriot League title could be a matchup with defending national champion UConn in the first round of the March Madness bracket.
A Look At the Schedule
Things will heat up in the Patriot League tournament on Thursday, with the four quarterfinals being played at the site of the higher-seeded teams.
Colgate will play the winner of the Army-Holy Cross game, the Loyola-Navy winner will play at Boston University, Lehigh is at Lafayette while Bucknell will play at American.
When it comes to the NCAAB predicted scores, those last two quarterfinals might be the most competitive.
As long as Colgate keeps winning, the Red Raiders will play at home throughout the tournament.
The semifinals will be on Sunday with the matchup in Colgate’s half of the bracket set for 2 p.m. while the other semifinal will start shortly after 4 p.m. Both games will be televised by CBS Sports Network.
The Patriot League title game is set for Mar. 13 at 7 p.m. and will air on CBS Sports Network.
Loyola’s Deon Perry is the leading scorer in the Patriot League, putting up 17.2 points per game. Keep that in mind when looking at potential prop or parlay options.
For Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
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