The Towson Tigers (11-6) visit the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens (5-10) in what should be a low-scoring game. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, Jan. 14.
The Fightin’ Blue Hens are hoping to rebound after their 85-67 loss to UNC Wilmington in their last matchup. Marvin King-Davis was the game’s leading scorer with 29 points. The Tigers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 73-59 loss against James Madison in their last game. Towson lost despite the best efforts of Arnaud William Adala Moto, who recorded his third double-double of the season with 17 points and 13 rebounds.
Half-court execution will be of utmost importance when two of the nation’s slowest-paced teams square off. Delaware ranks 288th in possessions per game (67.3), while Towson is 286th (67.3). Furthermore, the defense of the Tigers should have an advantage in terms of eFG%. They’re 34th in the nation in forcing misses (opponents’ eFG% of 45.0%), while the offense of the Fightin’ Blue Hens ranks 335th in eFG% (44.2%).
Towson is a slim two-point favorite over Delaware. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently 138 points. The Fightin’ Blue Hens come into this game 4-11 Straight Up (SU) and 3-9-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 2-7-1 ATS.
Over on the other bench, the Tigers have 11-6 SU and 4-5 ATS records. The Tigers have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the nation at .396.
These conference foes meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. Delaware won the last game in the matchup, bumping its SU record to 7-3 over Towson in their most recent meetings. With a 5-4-1 record, the Tigers have the advantage ATS. Towson held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers two times in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Delaware never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Towson, ATS Winner – Towson, O/U – Over
Notes
Delaware is 1-7-1 ATS in its last 9 games.
Delaware is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Delaware’s last 5 games.
Delaware is 2-5-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Towson.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Delaware’s last 8 games when playing Towson.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Delaware’s last 6 games when playing at home against Towson.
Delaware lost its last game by an 18-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Towson is 5-1. Delaware is 1-5 in blowouts this season.
Towson beats Delaware in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Tigers average 67.3 possessions and 1.072 points per possession, while the Fightin’ Blue Hens average 67.3 possessions with .983 points per possession.
The Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens average an effective field goal percentage of 44.2% this season. The Towson Tigers have a poor record of 3-5 when opponents have an eFG% of 44.2% or greater.
Towson, the 71st-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.6 per game. Delaware does worse, ranked 243rd with 2.9.
When it comes to offensive rebounds, Towson ranks 16th. Delaware ranks 105th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Delaware forces a turnover rate of 14.6%. When Towson turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 9-4 record.
