Valparaiso Beacons (ATS) ..

Despite Valparaiso being the underdog this evening, I believe that this is a great spot for an upset in the opening round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tourney. The Beacons just played UIC very tough in the final game of the regular season, on the road. They lost by only four points and looked great in the second half. If Cooper Schwieger can play like he did in that game, I don't see why Valparaiso can't win this game, and win this game comfortably.

Illinois Chicago was not expected to do this well. It's over performed in my books. Having said that, I believe that the Flames could be a liability in this tournament. They've actually failed to cover ATS in nine consecutive games coming in. That's a horrendous run. Free Throw shooting could be the difference in a game like this and VALPO averages 78.9% as a team while UIC is only shooting 72.2% as a team. This one has "upset alert" written all over it.

Score Prediction: 82-74 Valparaiso.