The VMI Keydets head to Hinkle Fieldhouse to take on the Butler Bulldogs. Action gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Monday, Dec. 7 and can be seen on FSN.
The Bulldogs were victorious over Indiana State 85-71 on Saturday. Kelan Martin was the game’s high scorer with 24 points on 10-for-14 shooting. The Keydets are coming off an ugly 89-62 loss to Ohio State on Saturday. QJ Peterson had a good shooting night, leading the game with 23 points.
Butler is a heavy 22-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 151 points. The Bulldogs have gone 6-1 Straight Up (SU) and 3-4 Against The Spread (ATS). The Bulldogs are one of the best in Division I in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting a superb .516 from the field. Butler is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.69.
In the other locker room, VMI has a SU record of 3-4 and an ATS record of 1-2. The Keydets are shooting lights out from the foul line so far, with a .800 free throw percentage that ranks fifth in Division I. VMI’s three-point defense is one of the top in the country, with opponents making only 4.0 shots from the three-point line per game.
Butler and VMI have not played one another in a regular season matchup in recent years.
Predictions: SU Winner – Butler, ATS Winner – Butler, O/U – Over
Notes
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Butler’s last 7 games.
Butler is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Butler’s last 9 games at home.
Ranked fourth, the Butler Bulldogs have an offensive rating of 126.9. The VMI Keydets, on the other hand, rank 184th with a defensive rating of 101.5.
The VMI Keydets average a field goal percentage of 41.5% this season. The Butler Bulldogs have a winning 2-1 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 41.5% or greater.
The Butler Bulldogs rank higher based on their field goal percentage (ninth) than their effective field goal percentage (23rd). The VMI Keydets rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (203rd) than their field goal percentage (262nd).
Butler ranks 62nd in assists, registering 16.1 per game. VMI performs worse at 227th with 12.7 assists per game.
The Butler Bulldogs make an average of 7.3 steals per game. When the VMI Keydets allow 7 or more steals, they are a winning 2-1.
