Southeast Missouri State has been to the NCAA Tournament only once as a Division I member, but SEMO could change that with a win over Tennessee Tech in tonight’s Ohio Valley Conference title game (8:00 pm ET, ESPN2).

Tonight’s championship contest will pit the fifth-seeded Redhawks (18-16, 10-8 OVC) against the second-seeded Golden Eagles (16-16, 11-7 OVC).

SEMO’s only March Madness appearance in Division I came in 2000, but Tennessee Tech’s drought is even longer, as they haven’t been to the Big Dance since 1963.

Whose drought will come to an end tonight in Evansville, Indiana? Read on for our Southeast Missouri State vs Tennessee Tech basketball prediction, as well as our Ohio Valley Conference championship picks and analysis.

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SEMO vs Tennessee Tech Odds

Odds for Southeast Missouri State vs Tennessee Tech are via FanDuelas of Saturday, March 4, 2023, at 2:20 pm ET.

Spread

• Southeast Missouri State +1.5 (-110)
• Tennessee Tech -1.5 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 144.5 (-115)
• Under 144.5 (-105)

Moneyline

• Southeast Missouri State +102
• Tennessee Tech -122

Expect a Close Encounter in Evansville

If the first two meetings this season between the Redhawks and Golden Eagles are any indication, we should expect a close contest in tonight’s conference championship clash.

The first meeting, which was at Southeast Missouri State on January 21, was not decided in regulation or in one overtime. Tennessee Tech rallied from down 12 at halftime to force overtime, but SEMO eventually pulled out an 84-77 2OT win.

The rematch at Tennessee Tech on February 4 didn’t need any extra periods, but it followed a similar script.

The home team jumped out to a big lead, with the Golden Eagles leading by as many as 18 points. Then the road team made a big rally, as SEMO came all the way back to tie the game in the final seconds.

But the home team avoided overtime this time, as Tennessee Tech’s Brett Thompson buried a buzzer-beater to deliver an 82-80 win.

The big question for tonight’s matchup is how much SEMO has in the tank after winning three games in three days, including last night’s come-from-behind 65-58 win over Morehead State, the conference’s regular season champs.

We should see more scoring than we did in that matchup, even with the potential nerves that may come with so much being at stake.

There have been 145 or more combined points scored in 11 of Tennessee Tech’s OVC games this season, and they have scored 75 or more points in 13 conference contests, including last night’s 78-63 win over UT Martin.

On the other side, SEMO is the conference’s highest-scoring team and has scored 75+ points in 16 conference contests this season. And out of their 21 OVC games, 145 or more combined points have been scored in 16 of them.

SEMO vs Tennessee Tech Prediction and Picks

Southeast Missouri State vs Tennessee Tech Prediction: Tennessee Tech to win

Southeast Missouri State vs Tennessee Tech Picks: Tennessee Tech ML (Best Value: FanDuel) & SEMO/Tennessee Tech over 144.5 (Best Value: Caesars Sportsbook)

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