NCAAB best bets: Mastodons are far from extinct

College basketball conference tournaments continue on, and though we haven't yet reached the more notable names, the quality of games should not be discounted. Two conferences in particular, the Horizon and Patriot Leagues, have some teams who could make noise come March Madness, and with their quarterfinals set for tonight, let's dip into the action.

Don't sleep on these conference tourneys

Upset alert in one of the quieter conferences

We hopped over to the NET Conference rankings site, to see how some people smarter than us rank each NCAAM conference, and of those participating today, the Horizon League seems to be one we should keep an eye on come tourney time. While they don't have any world-beaters here, it does seem that a few of these teams have quietly amassed solid efficiency rankings and a level of parity that should give whoever wins this conference a chance to pull off an upset in Round One.

We're drawn to the No. 1 vs. No. 8 matchup here between Oakland and Purdue Fort Wayne. Oakland is the conference's top squad, but Purdue Fort Wayne is only 17 spots lower ranked on KenPom. The Mastodons are coming in winners of three straight, and earlier this season in Oakland, Purdue Fort Wayne blew the doors off the Grizzlies, winning by 21.

We smell some value in the Horizon League, so we're hitching our wagons to the Mastodons.

Betting: Purdue Fort Wayne +4.5 

Picking the favorite in the Patriot League

The Patriot League quarters are tonight, and this conference has plenty of colleges we recognize. We're going a bit simpler on this read, but once again, we are drawn to the game with the conference's top seed.

No. 1 Colgate should be able to handle business against No. 9 Holy Cross. Holy Cross is just 10-22 on the season, and Colgate actually owns the nation's 10th-ranked defense, which should make life difficult on the Crusaders.

These teams have met twice over the past month, with Colgate winning both by an average margin of 24.5 points. That familiarity should carry over into this one, giving the Raiders the edge as they look to win their fourth straight Patriot League title.

Betting: Colgate -19.5

In the news ...

Karl-Anthony Towns diagnosed with a torn meniscus, out indefinitely — Tough news was announced this morning for the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Western Conference's top seed. Star center Karl-Anthony Towns has a torn meniscus and is out indefinitely. KAT and Rudy Gobert had formed a menacing defensive frontcourt, and his absence is only going to hurt Minnesota's title hopes. It remains to be seen when he can return and how effective he can be, but it opens up the door for other in the West to make a run at the NBA Finals. Our friends at Action Network seem to be bullish on both the Thunder at +900 to win the West and the Mavericks at +1800. Minnesota has dropped to +1600.
 
Whirlwind day in the NHL sees trades galore — So many trade dominoes hit yesterday in the NHL that it's a bit hard to keep up. We had Vegas trading for defenseman Noah Hanifin, we had Florida adding Vladimir Tarasenko. The Rangers traded for Alex Wennberg, the Oilers acquired Adam Henrique, while the Avs got Sean Walker. That's a whole bunch of contenders adding pieces all at once, aiming to keep pace with one another. We're likely not done yet; there are numerous moves rumored to be on the table, headlined by Pittsburgh's Jake Guentzel. This is fun, and it sure feels like the NHL is wide open. It's hard to pass up on a bet on the Florida Panthers winning it all at +700 after they acquired Tarasenko; their depth is as good as anyone's, and after the run they went on last season, they know what it takes to get there.
 
Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson fight set — No, this isn't a fever dream, a boxing match has now been set between Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. The two will square off on July 20, with the fight streamed on Netflix from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. If you're looking for betting odds, you'll have to stay patient. Sportsbooks probably need to wrap their heads around this matchup, and it also remains to be seen whether this will be an exhibition or a sanctioned boxing event. The fight will need to be sanctioned to allow sportsbooks to post lines. We have four months left until the spectacle, so we'll circle back as appropriate.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Griffin Carroll. Follow him on Substack: griffybets.substack.com.