The North Dakota State Bison (0-1) welcome the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (1-0) to Scheels Center for their home opener. The game starts at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, November 11, 2018.
UC Santa Barbara Gauchos vs. North Dakota State Bison Betting Prediction
In the Gauchos’ last contest, they topped the Wyoming Cowboys, 76-66. The Gauchos had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.585 vs. 0.405) and had a much better free throw rate (0.447 vs. 0.328). With 17 points on 5-for-13 shooting, Jaquori McLaughlin was UC Santa Barbara’s high scorer.
The Bison were beaten by the New Mexico State Aggies in their last matchup, 73-56. New Mexico State’s rebounding was their largest advantage. The Aggies had more offensive rebounds (15 vs. five), defensive rebounds (32 vs. 26) and total rebounds (47 vs. 31). With 23 points on 9-for-11 shooting, Rocky Kreuser was the top scorer from either team.
The Gauchos won the sole contest against the Bison last season, 85-66. The Gauchos had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (26.7 vs. 20.0) and had a better turnover percentage (8.5 vs. 11.3).
Second-chance opportunities might be hard to come by for North Dakota State in this contest. The Bison rank 332nd in offensive rebounding percentage (22.5 percent), while UC Santa Barbara ranks 63rd in defensive rebounding percentage (74.2 percent) dating back to the 2017-18 season. Ball security should be an advantage for the Gauchos. They rank 28th at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 15.9 percent). Conversely, the Bison have forced the eighth-fewest turnovers in the country (opponents’ turnover percentage of 14.8 percent).
UC Santa Barbara at North Dakota State Pick
Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – North Dakota State, ATS Winner – North Dakota State, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes (2017-Present):
North Dakota State ranks 17th in assists allowed per game (10.5) while UC Santa Barbara ranks 180th (13.7).
The Gauchos rank 106th in blocks per game (3.7) while the Bison rank 226th (2.4).
UC Santa Barbara ranks first in steals allowed per game (3.7) while North Dakota State ranks 109th (5.9).
The Bison rank 74th in three pointers attempted per game (24.4) while the Gauchos rank 122nd in three pointers allowed per game (20.9).
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