JEFF'S HUGE COLLEGE HOOPS VEGAS INSIDER

Eastern Michigan head coach Stan Heath has already made an impact on the program. Despite welcoming back just 30.3% of Eastern Michigan's scoring and 34.6% of its rebounds, the Eagles nearly took down Indiana in their season-opener. Eastern Michigan trailed by just one point (59-58) with 2:46 left in the second half before ultimately falling 68-62. The most encouraging aspect of that performance was how aggressive Heath's squad was under the basket; the Eagles battled to a near draw in rebounds (43-42). Eastern Michigan possesses a substantial advantage under the glass in tonight's game. The Eagles rank fifth in the MAC in blocked shots per game (3.63). Senior Darion Spottsville leads the team and ranks seventh in the conference in total blocks per game (1.0). Eastern Michigan's backcourt is led by returning junior Bryce McBride and East Carolina transfer Noah Farrakhan, who was a former five-star prospect out of New Jersey. Farrakhan is averaging a team-high 17.3 points per game on 45.8% shooting from beyond the arc, while McBride is third in scoring with 10.9 points per game. Leadership is provided by senior Monty Scott, who leads the team in field goal percentage (53.5 percent), which is second in the MAC and 94th nationally. Scott is second in scoring (16.0 ppg) and is converting 40.6% of his three-point attempts on the season. My math model only favors Niagara by 0.27 points and the Eagles are a profitable 10-4 ATS in their last fourteen games versus .399 or worse opposition. Grab the points with Eastern Michigan and invest with confidence.