Southern Conference Tournament Picks: Best Bets & Sleepers

2023 Southern Conference Championship Odds

Conference tournament time is here and BetQL is your source for best bets, sharp picks, public data, historical trends and so much more every single day for every single game! Per our friends at FanDuel, these are the odds to win the 2023 Southern Conference Championship:

Furman +125, UNC Greensboro +250, Samford +380, Chattanooga +1900, East Tennessee State +2300, Wofford +2300, Western Carolina +2300, Mercer +2500, The Citadel +25000, VMI +25000

Furman (24-7, 15-3 Southern) is the slight favorite to win the Southern Conference Tournament after finishing tied with Samford at the top of the conference standings. However, Furman beat Samford in both meetings this season, giving them the tiebreakers and the No. 1 seed in the tournament. UNC Greensboro and Western Carolina were the only other teams to finish conference play above .500. As a result, those teams earned the top four seeds this weekend. Scroll down to see if you should back Furman at these odds and find out which sleepers to consider.

2023 Southern Conference Championship Picks & Predictions

Southern Winner Best Bet: Furman (+125)

Furman is the betting favorite to win the conference tournament this weekend, and at plus money, I think it's a bet worth taking. The Paladins have the best offense in the conference, ranking first in offensive efficiency, effective field goal percentage, offensive rebounding percentage and two-point percentage. Samford is a close second to them in a number of those categories, but Furman won both meetings against them this year. Furman's defense is also top-notch, ranking second in four different defensive categories, including holding opponents to just 31.9% from deep.

Furman is also going to be out for revenge after it lost to Chattanooga on an overtime buzzer-beater in the SoCon title game last year. Fifth-year guard Mike Bothwell and fifth-year forward Jalen Slawson, who was also named SoCon Defensive Player of the Year last season, will bring plenty of experience and veteran leadership to the floor for the Paladins.

Southern Winner Sleeper Pick: Samford (+380)

As I mentioned above, Samford lost both of its regular season games to Furman. The first loss came in overtime on the road and the second one was a pretty convincing loss at home. That said, it's extremely hard to beat a team three times in one season, which is why I think there is some value on the Bulldogs at +380. Samford's offense can give Furman a run for its money thanks to its ability to shoot from deep. The Bulldogs own the best three-point percentage (37.5%) in the conference and they also get to the free-throw line at an extremely high rate. While their defense is just mediocre, they're great at forcing turnovers. If they catch Furman in one of the later rounds and the Paladins play tired and sloppy, turnovers could be the difference.

Southern Winner Deep Sleeper Pick: Wofford (+2300)

Wofford's defense is horrible. It's allowing teams to score 72.6 points, which isn't going to win you too many games. However, its offense can keep up with just about anyone. The Terriers have the second-best two-point percentage (56.3%) in the conference and when their offense is clicking they can put up points in a hurry. The only way I see them winning games and making a deep run is with that point-scoring ability. It's how they beat Samford once and Chattanooga twice this season. If the Terriers get hot from the field, teams better watch out because they can be dangerous.

Want More Conference Tournament Picks?

We have picks and predictions for all of our favorite Conference Tournaments happening this March. Check out our other prediction articles below and see which teams we think are the best bet to win and a few sleeper teams you can catch longshot odds on

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