CAA Conference Tournament Preview & Betting Guide: Charleston Looks to Complete Historic Season

Charleston has been the story out of the Colonial this season, but the gap has closed recently as Hofstra is proving to be a worthy challenger to the Cougars. To prepare you for the CAA Tournament, we will discuss the favorite, a dark horse, and the best bet that we think could go dancing on the league’s behalf.

Odds Courtesy FanDuel Sportsbook

CAA Conference Tournament Dates & Sites

Dates: March 3-7
Location: Entertainment & Sports Arena – Washington, DC
Championship Game: Tuesday, March 7th, 7:00 p.m. ET | CBS Sports Network

CAA Conference Tournament Winner Odds

Charleston: -110

Hofstra: +175

Towson: +650

UNC Wilmington: +1500

Drexel: +2200

Delaware: +4000

Elon: +17000

Northeastern: +18000

North Carolina A&T: +19000

Monmouth: +25000

William & Mary: +25000

Stony Brook: +25000

Hampton: +25000

The Favorite: Charleston -110

Just over a month ago, it felt like Charleston may not need the CAA Tournament to make it into the field of 68 this March. The Cougars were 21-1 overall, 9-0 in-conference, and only had a loss to North Carolina. Back-to-back conference losses to Hofstra and Drexel virtually ended their at-large hopes, and it’s going to take three wins in three days for Charleston to find its way into the big bracket. The strength of the Cougars is that they don’t have a primary scorer on the roster. They boast five players with double-digit points per game and have one of the deepest teams in college hoops. They get over 38 percent of their minutes from the pine, good for 20th in the nation.

Other Contender: Hofstra +175

Few teams have been hooping at the level Hofstra has been over the past month and a half. They have the fourth-longest winning streak in the nation at 11 and beat Charleston in the lone meeting between the two this season. They are led by senior Aaron Estrada, who can make about any shot you ask of him. A 20-PPG scorer, the 6’3″ guard is shooting 48.4 percent from the field and plays over 37 minutes per game. During a three-game stretch that included their victory over Charleston, Estrada poured in 92 points, 19 rebounds, and 12 assists on 53.8 percent shooting. He has that rare capability of being able to take over a game at any given moment and is someone that will be gunning for CAA Tournament MVP.

Best Bet: Hofstra +175

The gap between the Pride and the Cougars just doesn’t feel as wide as the odds suggest. Hofstra’s road win back in January was incredibly impressive, and on a neutral court, you may see a shorter moneyline than these current odds. Consider backing the guys out of Hempstead to grab the CAA’s auto-bid.

For more conference previews on SportsGrid: A-Sun | Ohio Valley