It will be a battle between Summit opponents when the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons (10-7, 2-0 Summit) welcome the South Dakota State Jackrabbits (11-5, 1-0 Summit) to Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 3, 2019.
South Dakota State Jackrabbits at Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons Free Prediction
The last time the Jackrabbits played, they defeated the Grand Canyon Antelopes, 79-74. The Jackrabbits had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (38.9 vs. 27.7) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.543 vs. 0.407). South Dakota State was led by Mike Daum, who contributed 20 points and 13 rebounds.
The Mastodons were blown out by the No. 21 UCLA Bruins in their last game, 96-71. UCLA’s rebounding was their largest strength. The Bruins had 13 offensive rebounds and 52 total rebounds, while the Mastodons had six and 28, respectively. Purdue Fort Wayne’s John Konchar had a good game, leading the team in scoring with 25 points on 11-for-18 shooting.
After the Jackrabbits won both contests against the Mastodons last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the last game, South Dakota State won 97-90. The Jackrabbits’ turnover percentage was their biggest strength over the Mastodons. South Dakota State had a rate of 4.9, while Purdue Fort Wayne posted a mark of 6.3.
Both teams have had a player step their game up over their last five games. Daum (0 points) has been stellar for the Jackrabbits while Konchar (0 points) has made solid contributions to the Mastodons.
Looking at effective field goal percentage, this appears to be a balanced game. The upper-echelon Purdue Fort Wayne offense ranks 14th in the country in that metric at 0.581, while the top-notch South Dakota State defense is ranked 60th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.466). Additionally, the Jackrabbits rank 45th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.286), while the Mastodons rank 48th in opponents’ FTA rate (0.191).
South Dakota State Jackrabbits at Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons Free Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – South Dakota State, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Purdue Fort Wayne averages 27.8 three pointers per game, which ranks 16th in the nation. South Dakota State ranks 264th in three pointers allowed per game (30.7).
The Mastodons rank 42nd in blocks per game (4.7) while the Jackrabbits rank 168th (2.0).
Purdue Fort Wayne ranks 48th in steals per game (7.9) while South Dakota State ranks 167th (5.3).
The Jackrabbits rank 39th in rebounds per game (39.6) while the Mastodons rank 155th (36.1).
South Dakota State ranks 44th in assists allowed per game (11.3) while Purdue Fort Wayne ranks 145th (13.3).
Bettings Trends:
The Jackrabbits’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 7.0, down from 14.6 for the season.
During their last five games, the Mastodons have scored an average of 87.0 points per game (3.8 above their season average) and allowed an average of 82.0 points per game (5.1 above their season average).
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