Monday: Demons redux

Just copying this one over from earlier today to new Monday thread:

Lines are already out at Sportsbook for tomorrow and I jumped one already.

Yep, after winning with them on Sat, we're going right back to the well with northwestern state demons -2.5 over Incarnate Word.

I felt all along this was a better team than their record. Of their 12 conference losses, 4 were by 2 points, and 2 others by 3 or 4. That includes a loss to Incarnate Word on Jan. 17, when the Demons led by 4 at halftime.

Again, they will have the best player on the court in Micah Thomas, who has gone off for 26, 27 and then 23 points in only 27 minutes in the massive win on Saturday over Houston Christian. So the veteran guard will have plenty in the tank for another enormous home game Monday night.

Saturday's win put the Demons a game up on Incarnate W, East Texas and Houston Chr. for the last berth to the Southland conference tournament with each club having 3 games to play. Lamar who is really struggling, is also tied with the Demons, so there is in essence two tournament berths up for grabs.

This won't be an easy game by any stretch. Word has one of the best shooters in the entire conference in Da'Von Bailey (18.1 PPG) and Tahj Staveskie (17.8 PPG) sunk the Demons with 2 late free throws in a tie game.

But this is an absolutely vital home finale for the Demons, who have 2 very tough road games remaining at upper-echelon teams TAM-CC and UTRGV. Again, I think they are the better team with the better player and playing at home in this matchup... a game they absolutely have to have.

Going 0.5 units on the both the ML and the -2.5 in this one, as I expect IW will be pretty desperate here too, suggesting a good possibility of a close game.

Further to that game, it is NOT Seniors Night for NW State. They had Seniors Night on Saturday.