It will be a battle between WCC opponents when the Pepperdine Waves (11-12, 4-5 WCC) welcome the Santa Clara Broncos (12-11, 4-5 WCC) to Firestone Fieldhouse. The game is scheduled to get underway at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 7, 2019.
Santa Clara Broncos at Pepperdine Waves Betting Prediction
In the Broncos’ last outing, they defeated the Portland Pilots, 69-63. One of Santa Clara’s largest strengths was getting to the charity stripe. They made 34 trips to the line, 21 more than Portland. Santa Clara rallied around Keshawn Justice, who was the top scorer from either team with 17 points on 4-for-8 shooting.
The Waves fell to the Pacific Tigers in their last outing, 66-59. Pacific launched 17 three pointers, making nine of them (52.9 percent), while Pepperdine was 6-20 (30.0 percent). With 16 points on 5-for-13 shooting, Kameron Edwards led Pepperdine in scoring.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, Josip Vrankic had 22 points and 11 rebounds and the Broncos defeated the Waves 67-64. The Broncos made eight of their 11 free throws (72.7 percent) and had a better offensive rebounding percentage (14.8 vs. 10.8).
Contrasting tempos will be on display in this meeting. Pepperdine has preferred an up-and-down style of play (78th in possessions per game), while Santa Clara has been slower-paced (237th in possessions per game). It could also be a mistake-prone game for the Broncos’ offense, which ranks 293rd in ball security (turnover percentage of 20.9 percent). They’ll be going up against the top-notch defense of the Waves, which forces the 45th-most turnovers in the NCAA (22.2 percent).
Santa Clara Broncos vs. Pepperdine Waves Odds Pick
College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Pepperdine, ATS Winner – Santa Clara, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Santa Clara ranks 40th in three pointers allowed per game (19.6) while Pepperdine ranks 148th (22.7).
The Waves average 14.7 assists per game, which ranks 76th in the NCAA. The Broncos rank 174th in assists allowed per game (13.9).
Pepperdine ranks 76th in steals per game (7.1) while Santa Clara ranks 136th in steals allowed per game (6.7).
The Broncos rank 41st in blocks allowed per game (2.7) while the Waves rank 86th (3.2).
Santa Clara ranks 217th in rebounds per game (34.0) while Pepperdine ranks 259th (32.7).
Bettings Trends:
The Broncos’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 13.8, up from 2.3 for the season.
During their last five games, the Waves have scored an average of 74.4 points per game (0.4 above their season average) and allowed an average of 72.4 points per game (2.1 above their season average).
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