The Texas State Bobcats and the Washington State Cougars meet Monday in college basketball action from Beasley Coliseum. Texas State went 21-8 overall last year but suffered an early exit in the NIT. As for Washington State, they’re coming off a 22-15 season and a Semifinals appearance in the NIT. Check back all season long for free college basketball picks at Sports Chat Place.
Texas State bettered their 2020-21 record (18-7) last year, going 21-8 overall with a 12-3 mark in Sun Belt Conference games. That result put the Bobcats in first place in the standings, ahead of Appalachian State at 12-6 in conference games.
Texas State lost back-to-back games three times last season, but those would be the only defeats the Bobcats suffered until a 79-72 upset by Louisiana in the Sun Belt Tournament. Texas State took another tough loss in the NIT opener versus North Texas 67-63.
Over on the Washington State side, they rolled to a 22-15 overall record in 2021-22. The Cougars managed a tepid 11-9 record in the Pac-12 however, putting the team in seventh place in the conference standings.
Washington State had a couple of rough spots in the regular season: one 4-7 run from November to January and a late-season 1-6 stretch. After a loss to UCLA in the conference tourney, Washington State got to the Semifinals of the NIT before losing to Texas A&M.
The Bobcats are 5-0 ATS in their last five road games and 8-1 ATS in the last nine overall. Washington State is 2-5 ATS in the last seven at home and the over is 8-2 in their last 10 Monday games.
PICK: I’m going to stay with Texas State. The Bobcats are returning 10 players from last year’s regular-season conference championship squad. The team is projected to be fighting it out with Louisiana for the top spot in the Sun Belt. There’s plenty of experience on the roster, including preseason All-Sun Belt First Team selection Mason Harrell. It shouldn’t take much to get Texas State going, and I think they’ll be strong right out of the gate.