NCAA Basketball Best Bets: Will Miami (OH) Stay Undefeated Tonight vs. Bowling Green?

Miami (OH) wasn’t on the national landscape when the season began. It wasn't even the favorite to win its own conference (projected to finish second). But here are the RedHawks going into Friday’s game vs. Bowling Green as the last remaining undefeated team in the country.

Yes, you read that right: the Miami (OH) RedHawks are the only undefeated team in the country. Not Arizona. Not Duke, or Houston or Michigan. Miami (OH). But will that be the case after tonight when they face the Falcons? The RedHawks have already beaten Bowling Green once this season, 93-83 on Jan. 27.

But while Miami (OH) blew them out in the first half, the Falcons returned the favor in the second. Had a few plays gone differently, we might not be talking about this right now.

(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Best Bets: Will the No. 22 Miami (OH) RedHawks remain undefeated?

The odds used in making my betting pick for Friday's game between Miami (OH) and Bowling Green can be found at DraftKings.

Statistics matter more than record when looking at Bowling Green

The Falcons looked good throughout their nonconference schedule but have had trouble gaining traction since conference play began. They lost to Miami (OH) in their second conference game and haven’t been able to string together more than two wins since then.

With a 78-71 loss to Kent State on Tuesday, their conference record fell to 7-7. But that does not mean they are a bad team. They are a top-10 team in the country in fastbreak points (first in the conference) and rank in the upper half of the MAC in several statistical categories.

They’ve been at their best when they’ve been able to put pressure on opposing offenses, forcing turnovers and disrupting shots. When the offense is clicking, Bowling Green can play at pace and with efficiency. At times during the season, the Falcons have been ranked among the top 35 in scoring offense and defense proving they can be an efficient and effective team on both ends of the court.

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Undefeated Miami (OH) RedHawks continue to exceed preseason expectations

There were expectations placed on Miami (OH) coming into the season with a lot of experience coming back. Not so much on a national level, of course, but many believed the RedHawks could contend for the MAC crown (regular season and conference tournament).

However, key to those hopes would be whether their experienced core could take the next step in their development as players and as a team. The progress has been apparent on the offensive end, where they have gone from scoring around 80 points per game like they did last year to 92.3.

On the defensive end, they are allowing a couple more points this season compared to last (74.4 to 72.7). But they still have the No. 8 scoring margin in the country at 18 points per game.

They last played on Tuesday, beating Massachusetts 86-77.

Bowling Green vs. Miami (OH): My Pick

• Miami (OH) -7.5 at -118 (DraftKings)

How the first game played out is a little concerning. Miami (OH) nearly doubled up on Bowling Green in the first half, 54-28. I’d expect the Falcons to make adjustments, and they clearly did as they won the second half 55-39. So, did the RedHawks not adjust? Maybe they didn’t feel they needed to since the first half went so well? I don’t know.

However, while the Bowling Green defense is not bad, certainly better than Miami (OH), the RedHawks have too much depth and can shoot from anywhere. If the Falcons take away one shot, Miami (OH) will just shoot from somewhere else. Knowing that making history is within reach, I don’t see Miami (OH) having a letdown in this game.