The Appalachian State Mountaineers will look for continued January success when they face the Sun Belt Conference rival Arkansas State Red Wolves on Thursday night. The Mountaineers (12-9, 6-2), who are 6-1 this month, will look to take over first place in the league with a win. The Red Wolves (13-4, 4-1), who are 4-3 on the road this season, have won three straight and have the top winning percentage (.800) in the conference. Although the teams did not meet last season due to COVID-19, Appalachian State swept the season series in 2019-20, winning 83-80 in overtime in Boone, N.C., and 71-64 in Jonesboro, Ark.
The game from Holmes Convocation Center is scheduled to tip off at 6:30 p.m. ET. Arkansas State is averaging 75.0 points per game, while Appalachian State averages 67.5. The Mountaineers are 3.5-point favorites in the latest Arkansas State vs. Appalachian State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 134.5. Before making any Appalachian State vs. Arkansas State picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 12 of the season with a 49-36 record on all top-rated college basketball picks, returning almost $700. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of $2,800 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on App. State vs. Arkansas State, and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Arkansas State vs. App. State:
- Arkansas State vs. Appalachian State spread: Appalachian State -3.5
- Arkansas State vs. Appalachian State over-under: 134.5 points
- Arkansas State vs. Appalachian State money line: Appalachian State -170, Arkansas State +145
- ARST: The Red Wolves are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games following a straight-up win
- APP: The Mountaineers are 7-1 ATS in their last eight home games against a team with a winning road record
Why Appalachian State can cover
Junior forward Donovan Gregory is among the Mountaineers' top scorers, averaging 9.5 points on 51.6 shooting from the floor. He is also averaging 5.3 rebounds, two assists and 1.2 steals. He has reached double-figure scoring in 10 games, including a 20-point performance in an overtime win at Coastal Carolina on Jan. 15. Gregory has appeared in 73 games, including 49 starts, in his career, averaging 7.4 points and 4.5 rebounds.
Also making his mark on the offensive end is senior guard Justin Forrest. Forrest, who is averaging 8.9 points, 2.3 assists and 2.3 rebounds, scored 13 points off the bench in the Mountaineers' 70-62 win at Georgia Southern on Saturday. He now has 1,997 career points and is about to become the third player in program history to surpass 2,000 points. Forrest has been a clutch performer throughout his career and has made six shots within the final 45 seconds of a game to either win it or send it to overtime, including once this season. At Georgia State on Jan. 20, Forrest made a fade-away jumper with 1.4 seconds left to lift Appalachian State to a 61-60 victory.
Why Arkansas State can cover
The Red Wolves have three players averaging in double-digit scoring, led by redshirt freshman forward Norchad Omier. Omier is averaging 17.1 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, 1.4 steals and 1.2 assists per game. He has scored in double figures in 14 games and has registered 12 double-doubles, including in each of the last seven games. He scored 23 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked three shots in the win over Texas State on Saturday.
Redshirt junior guard Desi Sills, a transfer from Arkansas, averages 14.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game. He has reached double-figure scoring in each of the last three games, including 21 points against Texas State. In all, he has scored 10 or more points in 13 games, including a season-high 25 in an 84-73 win at Arkansas Pine Bluff on Dec. 8. In his four-year career, Sills has played in 115 games, including 63 starts, and is averaging 8.7 points and 2.4 rebounds.
How to make Arkansas State vs. Appalachian State picks
SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting 139 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in almost 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the model's picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Appalachian State vs. Arkansas State? And which side of the spread hits in almost 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up $2,800 on its top-rated college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.
