The Wright State Raiders (12-8) look to continue their five-game winning streak when they meet the faltering UIC Flames (2-16) at Ervin J. Nutter Center. Action begins at 2:00 pm ET on Sunday, Jan. 24 and can be seen on ES3.
The Raiders enter this game hoping for similar success after topping Valparaiso 73-62 on Friday. Joe Thomasson was the game’s leading scorer with 21 points on 3-for-8 shooting. The Flames, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 82-69 loss against Northern Kentucky on Friday. UIC lost despite the best efforts of Dikembe Dixson, who recorded his third double-double of the season with 24 points and 10 rebounds.
This one isn’t expected to be close when Wright State, a substantial 18-point favorite, takes on UIC. The Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 129 points for this matchup. The Raiders have gone 12-8 Straight Up (SU) and 9-8 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-2). The Raiders have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 73.2 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 67.0 points per game. Turning to the defensive side, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Raiders. The 63.7 points that Wright State’s defense allows per game makes them the 25th-ranked defense in the country. Wright State’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation. The Raiders allow a .313 opponent three-point field goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the nation.
As for their opponent, the Flames have 2-16 SU and 3-13 ATS records. UIC has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 2-7 record.
These conference foes meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. UIC won the last game in the matchup, bringing the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. The Flames lead the matchup ATS with a record of 8-2. Wright State held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once, while UIC was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Wright, ATS Winner – Wright, O/U – Over
Notes
Wright State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
Wright State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Wright State is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Illinois-Chicago.
Wright State is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing Illinois-Chicago.
Wright State is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Illinois-Chicago.
Wright State holds a winning 6-1 SU record against the Horizon Conference, while UIC has yet to win a game against teams in the conference (0-7 SU).
UIC scores just 60.2 points per away game (ranked 328th). Wright State ranks sixth in points allowed at home, giving up 57.0 points.
The UIC Flames average 71.6 possessions per game and .918 points per possession. The Wright State Raiders earn fewer possessions with 67.1, but they score more points with .997.
UIC has an average effective field goal percentage of 42.3%. Wright State is an even 8-8 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, Wright State attempts 20.0 three pointers and UIC attempts 14.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Wright State Raiders have a 6-7 record while the UIC Flames have a losing 1-3 record.
UIC, the 52nd-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 39.6 rebounds per game. Wright State does worse, ranked 325th with 32.3.
The Wright State Raiders average 5.1 steals per game. When giving up 5 or more steals, the UIC Flames have an underachieving record (2-14) this season.
