The Furman Paladins (16-15) and Western Carolina Catamounts (22-9) meet Saturday in the Southern Conference (SoCon) Tournament quarterfinals at the Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, N.C. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Furman vs. Western Carolina odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
The 5-seed Paladins and 4-seed Catamounts split the regular-season series, with Furman winning 65-62 in Greenville, S.C., Jan. 20, while Western Carolina covered as a 4-point underdog as the Under (153.5) cashed. The teams met in Cullowhee, N.C. Feb. 28, with Western Carolina protecting its home court in an 85-77 win to cover as a 2-point favorite with the Over (147) cashing.
Furman limped to the finish line of the regular season, dropping the final 2 games, and 3 of the final 4 outings, including the game at Western Carolina. The Paladins are a dismal 3-8 ATS in the past 11 games, while cashing the Over in the past 3 outings.
Western Carolina closed out the regular season with 3 straight wins and covers, and the Under is on a 7-1 run for the Catamounts.