The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (11-8) will attempt to extend a six-game winning streak when they match up with the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (10-11) at Cajun Dome. The game gets underway at 8:15 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 2.
The Ragin’ Cajuns were victorious over UT Arlington 90-75 on Saturday. Shawn Long fueled the Ragin’ Cajuns, recording 22 points and 15 rebounds to notch his 14th double-double this season. The Warhawks are coming off a 72-59 win over Texas State on Saturday. Nick Coppola shot 11 for 17 and led in scoring with 26 points.
Over the last five games, Justin Roberson and Majok Deng have been hot for the Warhawks. During that stretch, Roberson has averaged 19.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 2.2 three-pointers. Not to be outdone, Deng has put up 21.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.6 steals, 2.2 blocks, and 3.2 three-pointers.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Warhawks won the first game 81-70. Majok Deng was a standout player in the game, producing 30 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block, and three three-pointers.
Louisiana-Lafayette is an eight-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 147 points. The Ragin’ Cajuns look to build on their records of 11-8 Straight Up (SU) and 7-8 Against The Spread (ATS). The Ragin’ Cajuns have one of the most prolific offenses in the entire nation, averaging 82.3 points per game. The Ragin’ Cajuns have a distinct advantage on the boards in this matchup. They are the 17th-ranked rebounding team in Division I, averaging 41.5 per game, while the Warhawks rank 120th in the nation with 37.6 per game. The Louisiana-Lafayette defense is doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games. It is allowing an average of 67.0 points per game, well under their season average of 73.8. Teams really have to fight for three-pointers against the Ragin’ Cajuns, who have allowed only 6.0 three-pointers to opponents per game.
On the other side, the Warhawks head into the game with records of 9-8 ATS and 10-11 SU.
Following the Warhawks’ latest win over Louisiana-Lafayette, the head-to-head record between these two is now an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. The Warhawks hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4. Neither Louisiana-Lafayette nor Louisiana-Monroe has led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers) over their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Louis, ATS Winner – UL-Mon, O/U – Over
Notes
Louisiana-Lafayette is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Louisiana-Lafayette’s last 9 games.
Louisiana-Lafayette is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Louisiana-Lafayette is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing Louisiana-Monroe.
Louisiana-Lafayette is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Louisiana-Monroe.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Louisiana-Lafayette’s last 8 games when playing at home against Louisiana-Monroe.
The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns hold a solid 7-3 SU record in matchups against Sun Belt Conference rivals, while the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks currently sit at 6-4 in these games.
Louisiana-Lafayette averages 91.0 points per home game, ranking fourth in the country. Louisiana-Monroe, on the other hand, allows 72.6 points per away game, one of the worst teams this season (ranked 117th).
The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns average 73.0 possessions and 1.128 points per possession in games this season. The Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks average fewer possessions with 67.8, as well as fewer points per possession with 1.065.
Louisiana-Monroe has an average effective field goal percentage of 50.9%. Louisiana-Lafayette is a poor 3-6 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns attempt 21.0 three point field goals per game and the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks attempt 17.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Louisiana-Lafayette has a split 6-6 record, while Louisiana-Monroe is 4-3.
Louisiana-Lafayette is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounds, ranking 14th. Louisiana-Monroe ranks just 129th in defensive rebounds.
The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns average 7.1 steals per game. When giving up 7 or more steals, the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks have a losing record (1-3) this season.
