The Old Dominion Monarchs (8-6) will have a tough time bringing their five-game road losing streak to a halt when they take on the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (12-2), who have won nine in a row at home. Action begins at 9:00 pm ET on Thursday, Jan. 7 and can be seen on CCS.
The Bulldogs come into this game on a high note after blowing out Southern Miss 87-57 in their last matchup. With 30 points and 10 rebounds, Erik McCree recorded his fourth double-double this season. The Monarchs, meanwhile, are coming off a 74-65 win against Charlotte in their last game. Trey Freeman shot 9 for 13 and led in scoring with 21 points.
Over the last five games, Freeman has been hot for the Monarchs. During that stretch, he has averaged 19.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.0 steal, and 0.6 three-pointers.
It will be a battle of conflicting tempos, as the fast-paced Bulldogs (ranked 24th in the nation in possessions per game) will look to push the slow-paced Monarchs (346th in possessions per game). Also, the Monarchs commit the 21st-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 15.4%), while the disruptive defense of the Bulldogs causes the 33rd-most (opponents’ TO% of 22.5%).
Louisiana Tech is a three-point favorite against Old Dominion and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is set at 136 points. The Bulldogs enter the game with records of 12-2 Straight Up (SU) and 4-2 Against The Spread (ATS). The Bulldogs prevent teams from making three-pointers, ranking 33rd in the nation with a .301 opponent field-goal percentage from three-point range. An area where the Bulldogs are particularly strong is shot blocking, where they average 5.2 blocks per game, 43rd in Division I.
In the other locker room, the Monarchs have records of 2-8 ATS and 8-6 SU. Most recently, Old Dominion is a meager 1-6 ATS over the last 10 games. The Monarchs rarely make costly errors handling the ball. They have the 41st-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country at 1.37. Old Dominion’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .383 from the field.
This is the first meeting of the season for Louisiana Tech and Old Dominion. The last time they played, Old Dominion came out on top, taking the head-to-head record to an even 1-1 SU. On the other hand, with a 2-0 record, Old Dominion has the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – LaTech, ATS Winner – ODU, O/U – Under
Notes
Louisiana Tech is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games.
Louisiana Tech is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and the Old Dominion Monarchs both hold perfect records of 1-0 SU against the Conference USA Conference.
Louisiana Tech averages 84.6 points per home game (ranked 67th). Old Dominion allows 68.4 points per away game (ranked 45th).
In its last game, Louisiana Tech won by a margin of 30 points. Old Dominion is 4-1 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Louisiana Tech has a 6-2 record in blowouts.
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs have a defensive rating of 91.8 (ranked 17th), while the Old Dominion Monarchs have an offensive rating of 107.6 (ranked 131st).
The Old Dominion Monarchs average a field goal percentage of 43.8% this season. The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs have split their games this season (2-2) when opponents have a FG% of 43.8% or greater.
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and the Old Dominion Monarchs both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Louisiana Tech is 150th and 126th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Old Dominion ranks 275th and 192nd in these categories.
Old Dominion ranks 41st in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.37. Louisiana Tech is ranked lower at 109th with an A/TO of 1.17.
Louisiana Tech, the 54th-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 40.0 rebounds per game. Old Dominion does worse, ranked 162nd with 37.4.
Louisiana Tech ranks 77th in defensive rebounding. When it comes to offensive rebounds, Old Dominion ranks 100th.
Opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 18.6% when playing Old Dominion this season. Louisiana Tech is undefeated this season (5-0) when its TO% is 18.6% or higher.
