2013 Horizon League Tournament Odds, Free Picks and Predictions – Valparaiso the Vegas Favorite

2013 Horizon League Tournamant Odds, Free Picks and Predictions – Horizon League Tournament Schedule and Tournament Bracket: Although it has produced some of the most famous Cinderella stories in March Madness history, the endless conference realignment has likely made the Horizon League a one-bid conference for the 2013 NCAA Tournament. With every team essentially playing to keep their season alive each time they take the court, the intensity level will obviously be high. Throw in the fact that the Horizon League has two strong teams at the top with only one NCAA Tournament spot up for grabs, and the potential for a classic conference tournament title game is definitely real. For a closer look at the two teams with the best chance of securing the conference’s automatic bid, here is a preview of what to expect from the Horizon League Tournament.

2013 Horizon League Tournament Odds, Free Picks and Predictions

The Contenders

After winning the regular season title, the Valparaiso Crusaders (24-7, 14-3 Horizon League) will set their sights on a conference tournament title, as well. The crusaders have been the model of consistency throughout the year, ranking second in the conference in scoring and allowing the fewest points per game to opponents. Valparaiso has also been incredibly consistent on the offensive end, and the Crusaders actually rank ninth in the country in field goal percentage. Senior forward Ryan Broekhoff is the team’s leading scorer at 15.9 points per game, and he is also the team’s main perimeter threat. However, his backcourt mate Kevin Van Wijk averages 12.6 points per game on 64.8 percent shooting. Five other players are averaging more than six points per game for a very balanced offensive attack. If there is an area of concern for the Crusaders is their tendency to overlook lesser competition. Two of their three conference losses came against teams that were in the bottom half of the Horizon League, and one off night in the conference tournament is all it will take to end their season.

Although a loss in the regular season finale cost them a share of the regular season crown, the Detroit Titans (20-11, 12-4 Horizon League) still have a chance to take the title that really matters and secure a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Plain and simple, Detroit has one of the more explosive offenses in the country, and the Titans currently rank fifth nationally in scoring at 78.9 points per game. Four players average more than 12 points per game for Detroit, and three players have knocked down more than 40 3-pointers this season. Junior guard Ray McCallum is the centerpiece of the attack, and he is averaging 19.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.8 steals on the year. The one downside to Detroit’s up-tempo, high-scoring attack is that it creates some lapses on the defensive end. The Titans are allowing more than 71 points per game on the year, and one poor shooting night on the part of their offense could spell a premature end of their season during the Horizon League tournament.

Bottom Line

While both Valparaiso and Detroit both lost a couple of games that they shouldn’t have during the course of the year, the focus level should rise given what is on the line during the conference tournament. These two teams are a notch above the rest of the competition, and they should decide the conference’s lone NCAA Tournament bid amongst themselves. When trying to decide which side has the edge, a pair of regular season meetings could hold the key. Valparaiso won the first matchup 89-88 while Detroit took the rematch 84-74. Despite splitting the season series, the final score of each game makes it clear that both were played at Detroit’s up-tempo pace. The Titans’ offense has had little trouble getting points against the Crusaders’ defense, and a high-scoring game definitely favors McCallum and company.

Prediction: Detroit Titans Win the Horizon League Tournament

Odds to Win Horizon League Tournament
Valparaiso -155
Detroit +165
Wisconsin Green Bay +1400
Wright State +1800
Youngtown State +2500
Illinois Chicago +3300

2013 Horizon League Tournament Schedule
First Round – Tuesday, March 5
1
8:00 PM #9 Milwaukee at #4 Green Bay
2
8:00 PM #8 Cleveland State at #5 Illinois-Chicago
3
7:15 PM #7 Loyola-Chicago at #6 Youngstown St
Second Round – Friday, March 8
4
6:00 PM #3 Wright State vs. Game 3 Winner
5
8:30 PM Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner
Semifinals – Saturday, March 9
6
6:00 PM Game 5 Winner vs. #2 Detroit ESPNU (TV delayed to 10:30 PM)
7
8:30 PM Game 4 Winner at #1 Valparaiso ESPNU
Championship Game – Tuesday, March 12
8
9:00 PM Game 6 Winner vs. Game 7 Winner ESPN

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