The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (5-0) look to extend their hot start when they compete against the Memphis Tigers (3-2) at the FedExForum. Action gets underway at 9:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Dec. 1 and can be seen on CCS.
The Tigers come into this game on a high note after topping Ohio State 81-76 on Friday. Shaq Goodwin was the game’s leading scorer with 23 points on 7-for-10 shooting. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are coming off a 71-50 win against North Carolina Central on Friday. Qiydar Davis played well, accumulating 13 points and 10 rebounds to claim his first double-double of the season.
Memphis is a three-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 150 points. The Tigers enter the game with records of 3-2 Straight Up (SU) and 1-3 Against The Spread (ATS). Teams have to fight for open shots against the Tigers, who have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the country at .374. An area where the Tigers are particularly strong is shot blocking, where they average 6.0 blocks per game, 19th in Division I.
On the other side, the Bulldogs are a perfect 5-0 SU and 2-0 ATS so far. The Bulldogs are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking 49th in Division I at 1.42. The Bulldogs are one of the top defensive teams in the nation, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 58.4 points allowed per game. Louisiana Tech’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .333 from the field. The Bulldogs are a terror in the passing lanes, averaging an impressive 9.2 steals per game.
Memphis and Louisiana Tech will be facing off for their first head-to-head game in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – LaTech, ATS Winner – LaTech, O/U – Under
Notes
Memphis averages 74.6 points per game, placing the team just 172nd in the nation. Louisiana Tech ranks 13th in points allowed, giving up 58.4 points per game.
Louisiana Tech is one of the top-scoring teams on the road, averaging 84.0 points per game (ranked 17th). Memphis, on the other hand, allows 68.4 points per home game (ranked 198th).
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs have a defensive rating of 79.9 (ranked sixth), while the Memphis Tigers have an offensive rating of 100.7 (ranked 249th).
Louisiana Tech beats Memphis in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Bulldogs average 74.2 possessions and 1.116 points per possession, while the Tigers average 74.0 possessions with 1.007 points per possession.
Memphis has an average effective field goal percentage of 42.2%. Louisiana Tech is undefeated (2-0) when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
Memphis attempts an average of 19.0 three pointers per game and Louisiana Tech attempts 24.0 on average. When the teams attempt at least 20 three pointers, the Memphis Tigers are winless (0-2) while the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs are undefeated (5-0).
Louisiana Tech ranks 49th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.42. Memphis is ranked lower at 152nd with an A/TO of 1.10.
Memphis ranks 37th in rebounds per game with 43.4 and Louisiana Tech ranks 41st with 43.2 rebounds per game.
Memphis ranks 33rd in defensive rebounding. When it comes to offensive rebounds, Louisiana Tech ranks 71st.
Opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 22.4% when playing Memphis this season. Louisiana Tech is undefeated (1-0) when its TO% is 22.4% or higher.