The Samford Bulldogs (11-4, 1-1 SoCon) will try to lengthen their five-game winning streak against the East Tennessee State Buccaneers (11-4, 1-1 SoCon) at Freedom Hall Civic Center. The game can be seen on ESPN 3 at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 3, 2019.
Samford Bulldogs vs. East Tennessee State Buccaneers Betting Prediction
In the Bulldogs’ last contest, they topped the North Alabama Lions, 91-74. Samford’s 0.664 effective field goal percentage was their biggest advantage over North Alabama, who had a mark of 0.431. Ruben Guerrero fueled Samford with 17 points and six rebounds.
The Buccaneers lost to the Georgia State Panthers in their last contest, 74-68. Getting to the free throw line was one of Georgia State’s largest advantages. They had 29 free throw attempts, while East Tennessee State had 18. East Tennessee State’s Isaiah Tisdale put together a solid performance, leading the team in scoring with 19 points on 6-for-11 shooting.
East Tennessee State could dominate the offensive glass in this battle. The Buccaneers are among the country’s elite on the offensive glass, ranking sixth in offensive rebounding percentage at 39.8 percent. Meanwhile, Samford ranks 274th in the NCAA at corralling defensive rebounds with a defensive rebounding percentage of 68.5 percent. Moreover, the Bulldogs’ 54th-ranked offense (effective field goal percentage of 0.540) will battle against the Buccaneers’ 58th-ranked defense (effective field goal percentage allowed of 0.465).
Both teams have had a player take their game to the next level over their last five games. Guerrero (0 points) has been fantastic for the Bulldogs while Jeromy Rodriguez (0 points) has made solid contributions to the Buccaneers.
After the Buccaneers won both matchups against the Bulldogs last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the last game, East Tennessee State won 96-76. East Tennessee State’s effective field goal percentage was its biggest strength over Samford. The Buccaneers had a rate of 0.682 while the Bulldogs posted a mark of 0.492.
Samford Bulldogs vs. East Tennessee State Buccaneers Odds Pick
Pick: SU Winner – East Tennessee State, ATS Winner – East Tennessee State, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
East Tennessee State ranks fourth in rebounds allowed per game (28.7) while Samford ranks 140th (36.0).
The Buccaneers rank 126th in three pointers attempted per game (22.8) while the Bulldogs rank 233rd (19.3).
Samford ranks 20th in blocks allowed per game (2.4) while East Tennessee State ranks 112th (3.7).
The Buccaneers rank 74th in steals per game (7.1) while the Bulldogs rank 134th in steals allowed per game (6.6).
East Tennessee State ranks 54th in assists per game (15.4) while Samford ranks 108th in assists allowed per game (13.1).
Bettings Trends:
The Bulldogs’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 14.6, up from 8.5 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 (1.6 above their season average).
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