The Appalachian State Mountaineers and Hartford Hawks are trying to break out of slumps on Monday when the teams meet in a nonconference game in Boone, N.C. Both teams have a lot of experience on their rosters, and the Mountaineers (3-4) made the NCAA Tournament last season while the Hawks (0-5) went 15-9. But neither team has been scoring a lot this season, with Hatrford scoring 67 points per game and App State averaging less than 68 per game. Hartford will be playing its fifth game away from home, while the Mountaineers have played six straight on its home floor. The teams have met once before, with ASU winning 70-61 in 2013.
Tipoff from the Holmes Center is set for 6:30 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Mountaineers as the 8.5-point favorites in its latest Hartford vs. Appalachian State odds, and the over-under is set at 130, down four points from the opening line. Before making any Appalachian State vs. Hartford picks, check out the college basketball predictions 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 almost $2,100 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 Hartford vs. Appalachian State. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college basketball lines and trends for Appalachian State vs. Hartford:
- Hartford vs. Appalachian State spread: Mountaineers -8.5
- Hartford vs. Appalachian State over-under: 130 points
- Hartford: It is 30-18-1 ATS in nonconference games since 2016.
- App State: It is 23-23-2 ATS in nonconference games since 2016.
Featured Game | App. State Mountaineers vs. Hartford Hawks
Why Appalachian State can cover
Three of App State’s four losses have been by two points or fewer, and it is 6-5 against the spread in home games since the start of last season. The Mountaineers aren’t scoring a lot of points (67.7 per game) but are allowing less than 61.7 (69th in Division I). They face a Hartford defense that is the NCAA’s worst in opponent shooting percentage (48.5) and gives up 76.2 points (299th). Opponents also hit more than 37 percent from 3-point range, and App State hits just shy of 35 percent. Meanwhile, the Hawks score just 67 points per contest (271st).
The Mountaineers are 5-6-1 ATS in nonconference games since 2020. App State has counted heavily on senior guard Adrian Delph, who leads the team in scoring (18.7 points) and rebounding (5.7 per game). He is hitting 43.8 percent of his 3-point attempts (43.8 percent) and is averaging one steal per game. Forward Donovan Gregory also is a key piece, scoring eight points, pulling down 4.7 rebounds and leading the team with 1.3 steals. Senior guards Michael Almonacy and Justin Forrest combine for 19.2 points and 4.9 assists per game.
Why Hartford can cover
Hartford has more talent than its record indicates, and guard Austin Williams is still one of the key players on the offensive end. The senior was on the preseason America East all-conference team after being named most outstanding player in the conference tournament. He is averaging 11.5 points and 2.9 assists as he works through some shooting struggles. He scored 14 points and pulled down 6.2 rebounds last season. Forward Hunter Marks has been a key piece for the Hawks the past two seasons and is the team’s leading scorer so far at 13.8 points per game.
Williams is part of a strong backcourt, along with Moses Flowers (10.3 points) and Dejuan Clayton (eight), that hounds opponents on defense. Flowers averaged more than two steals last season, and he is one of three players averaging at least one this year, along with Jared Kimbrough and Williams. Kimbrough, a 6-foot-8 forward who transferred from La Salle, is averaging 9.5 points and 6.3 rebounds. Hartford has had its shooting woes so far, but it is actually shooting better from the floor (44.4 percent) than Appalachian State (43.6).
