Patriot League foes square off on Wednesday evening in West Point. The Army Black Knights host the Bucknell Bison in a conference game, with Bucknell aiming for revenge. The Bison lost to the Black Knights in the first matchup of the season on Jan. 4, and Bucknell is 7-21 overall and 4-12 in Patriot League games. Army is 13-15 overall and 7-9 against conference foes, though the Black Knights are on a six-game losing streak.
Tip-off is at 6 p.m. ET. Army is listed as a six-point home favorite, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 145.5 in the latest Bucknell vs. Army odds. Before you make any Army vs. Bucknell picks, be sure to 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 almost $2,000 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 Army vs. Bucknell, and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Bucknell vs. Army:
- Bucknell vs. Army spread: Army -6
- Bucknell vs. Army over-under: 145.5 points
- BUCK: The Bison are 7-9 against the spread in conference games
- ARMY: The Black Knights are 9-7 against the spread in Patriot League games
Why Bucknell can cover
Bucknell’s defense is above-average in a few categories, including free throw prevention and block rate. The Bison should also benefit from Army’s shortcomings on offense, as the Black Knights are strongly below average in adjusted offensive efficiency. Army is making only 63 percent of free throw attempts, one of the worst marks in the country, and the Black Knights are No. 9 in the Patriot League in 3-point shooting at 32.2 percent. Army is also near the bottom of the country in block rate allowed (11.1 percent) and steal rate allowed (11.0 percent) this season.
On the other end, Bucknell leads the Patriot League in free throw shooting, with top-three marks in free throw creation, 3-point accuracy, and shooting efficiency. Bucknell is making 37 percent of 3-pointers this season, including 38.2 percent in conference play, and Army is last in the Patriot League in shooting efficiency allowed. Opponents are shooting 55 percent on two-point shots against Army and the Black Knights have the worst block rate (5.0 percent) in the conference.
Why Army can cover
Army should be able to capitalize on Bucknell’s defensive weaknesses. The Black Knights are leading the Patriot League in free throw creation rate, and Army also has a sparkling 28.1 percent offensive rebound rate. Bucknell is dead-last in the Patriot league in defensive efficiency, and opponents are making more than 39 percent of 3-point attempts against the Bison. Bucknell is in the bottom three of the conference in steal rate, turnover creation rate, two-point shooting allowed, and overall shooting efficiency allowed.
From there, Army is the best team in the Patriot League in preventing free throw attempts, and the Black Knights are excellent in turnover creation rate (20.5 percent), steal rate (11.5 percent) and defensive rebound rate (73.1 percent). Bucknell allows a 12.0 percent steal rate on offense, one of the worst marks in the country, and the Bison are securing only 22 percent of their own missed shots on the offensive glass this season.
How to make Army vs. Bucknell picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, projecting 144 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits almost 60 percent of the time. You can only get the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Bucknell vs. Army? And which side of the spread hits nearly 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up almost $2,000 on its college basketball picks the last five-plus years, and find out.
