The Tulane Green Wave (7-10) head to play the South Florida Bulls (3-14) in what should be a low-scoring game. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Jan. 12 and can be seen on ESW and ES3.
The Bulls lost a winnable game to Cincinnati 54-51 on Sunday. Jahmal McMurray was the game’s leading scorer, recording 16 points. The Green Wave, meanwhile, are coming off an 81-67 loss against Tulsa on Sunday. Tulane lost despite the best efforts of Dylan Osetkowski, who recorded his sixth double-double of the season with 18 points and 14 rebounds.
Half-court execution will be of utmost importance when two of the nation’s slowest-paced teams square off. South Florida ranks 289th in possessions per game (67.3), while Tulane is 293rd (67.1).
South Florida is a slim one-point favorite at home against Tulane. Oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 124 points. The Bulls are trying to improve upon their records of 3-14 Straight Up (SU) and 6-6 Against The Spread (ATS). Opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Bulls, ranking 11th in the country in blocks per game with 5.9.
As for their opponent, the Green Wave have 7-10 SU and 5-5-1 ATS records.
This game marks the season’s first head-to-head clash between the conference rivals. Their previous game was a Green Wave victory, bringing the head-to-head record to an even 4-4 SU. The Bulls hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-2.
Predictions: SU Winner – Tulane, ATS Winner – Tulane, O/U – Over
Notes
South Florida is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games.
South Florida is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home.
South Florida is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing Tulane.
Both South Florida and Tulane stand at a winless 0-4 SU record against their conference rivals.
The South Florida Bulls average a field goal percentage of 41.9% this season. The Tulane Green Wave are a winless 0-6 when opponents have a FG% of 41.9% or greater.
The South Florida Bulls and the Tulane Green Wave both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. South Florida is 322nd and 278th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Tulane ranks 302nd and 290th in these categories.
South Florida, the 11th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.9 per game. Tulane ranks 72nd with 4.6.
South Florida ranks 84th in offensive rebounding. Tulane ranks 110th in defensive rebounding.
The Tulane Green Wave average 5.7 steals per game. When giving up 5 or more steals, the South Florida Bulls have a subpar record (2-13) this season.
