UNC Greensboro Spartans vs Elon Phoenix Prediction, Odds, Best Bets - Week 1

UNC Greensboro won its opener by 53 and held Milligan to 43 points, while Elon beat Columbia behind 21 points from Josh Dalton in a North Carolina matchup at the Schar Center.

The Matchup

Both teams are 1-0. UNC Greensboro beat Milligan 96-43. Elon beat Columbia 84-71. Last season Elon scored 78.1 points per game and allowed 77.9, while UNC Greensboro scored 78.6 and allowed 80.5. Set the Milligan rout aside and the baselines underneath it are nearly even: both teams scored in the high seventies last season and both defended loosely, which is why one lopsided opener tells less than it shouts.

UNC Greensboro's opener was balanced domination. Cameron Grant scored 19 points with 9 rebounds against Milligan, RJ Greer added 15 points, and Dionte Neal had 14 points with 7 assists on 7 of 8 shooting. Elon had its own leaders against Columbia. Josh Dalton scored 21 points with 8 rebounds, and Hunter Harding added 15 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists.

The Schar Center in Elon is a short trip for UNC Greensboro, so this plays more like a regional rivalry game than a true road test. Both crowds will be heard, and neither team is walking into an unfamiliar gym.

Key Factors

UNC Greensboro's ball movement is the edge. Neal ran the opener cleanly, Brock Mishak added 13 points and 8 rebounds, and five Spartans reached double figures. A team that scores from everywhere is hard to lay 7.5 against, because there is no single player for Elon to load up on and stop the run.

Elon's defense will decide whether the favorite covers. The Phoenix allowed 71 points to Columbia after allowing 77.9 per game last season, while UNC Greensboro just scored 96. The total is 154.5, which expects a fast, high scoring game, and in that kind of game a 7.5 point cushion for a live underdog is valuable possession after possession.

The honest counterpoint is Elon's home pair. Dalton and Harding combined for 36 points, 16 rebounds and 9 assists in the opener, and if they control the glass and the pace at home, Elon can build the kind of lead that forces UNC Greensboro to chase and foul late.

Every pick is published with its line before the game. Odds via consensus sportsbooks at time of writing and move constantly. Must be 21+. If gambling is a problem, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.