The Furman Paladins (12-1, 1-0 SoCon) head to East Tennessee State to take on the Buccaneers (10-4, 0-1 SoCon) in a matchup that pits phenomenal offense against tremendous defense. The game starts at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 29, 2018.
Furman Paladins at East Tennessee State Buccaneers Betting Prediction
In the Paladins’ last game, they blew out the Bob Jones University Bruins, 102-48. The Paladins had a much better turnover percentage (3.7 vs. 29.2) and had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (39.4 vs. 17.2). With 24 points on 9-for-11 shooting, Matt Rafferty was the game’s leading scorer.
The Buccaneers were beaten by the Georgia State Panthers in their last outing, 74-68. One of Georgia State’s largest advantages was getting to the charity stripe. They made 29 trips to the line, while East Tennessee State went 18 times. Isaiah Tisdale had a good performance for East Tennessee State, leading the team in scoring with 19 points on 6-for-11 shooting.
After the Buccaneers won two out of three contests against the Paladins last season, these teams will meet for the first time this year. In the last contest, East Tennessee State won 63-52. East Tennessee State had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.518 vs. 0.350). Furman, meanwhile, had a better free throw rate (0.167 vs. 0.089).
Both teams have had a player step their game up over their last five games. Rafferty (0 points) has been great for the Paladins while Jeromy Rodriguez (0 points) has made great contributions to the Buccaneers.
Points could be at a premium in this contest between a pair of the nation’s top defenses. East Tennessee State ranks 23rd in defensive efficiency (89.9) and Furman is 45th (92.7).
Furman vs. East Tennessee State ATS Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Furman, ATS Winner – Furman, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Furman ranks ninth in three pointers attempted per game (29.6) while East Tennessee State ranks 136th in three pointers allowed per game (23.1).
The Buccaneers rank sixth in rebounds allowed per game (29.1) while the Paladins rank 111th (34.8).
Furman averages 9.5 steals per game, which ranks 10th in the nation. East Tennessee State ranks 114th in steals allowed per game (6.9).
The Paladins rank 46th in blocks per game (4.3) while the Buccaneers rank 95th in blocks allowed per game (3.6).
Furman ranks 23rd in assists per game (17.4) while East Tennessee State ranks 63rd in assists allowed per game (11.7).
Bettings Trends:
The Paladins’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 21.2, up from 15.9 for the season.
During their last five games, the Buccaneers have scored an average of 81.6 points per game (2.9 above their season average) and allowed an average of 65.6 points per game (1.0 above their season average).
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