The Davidson Wildcats (12-8), the Atlantic 10’s top scoring team, will go head-to-head against the Duquesne Dukes (15-7) at A.J. Palumbo Center. Action begins at 12:30 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 6 and can be seen on NBS.
The Dukes enter this game hoping for similar success after topping Saint Louis 78-67 in their last matchup. Micah Mason was the game’s leading scorer with 23 points on 8-for-18 shooting. The Wildcats, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 79-69 loss against George Washington in their last game. Jack Gibbs led the game in scoring with 25 points.
Mason and Derrick Colter have been better than usual over the last five games for the Dukes. During that stretch, Mason has averaged 20.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.0 steal, and 3.6 three-pointers, while Colter has recorded 21.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 0.6 steals, and 2.2 three-pointers a game.
The Wildcats will look to keep miscues at a minimum in this matchup. They’re ranked first in the nation at avoiding mistakes (TO% of 13.8%). Conversely, Duquesne forces the 46th-fewest errors in the nation, with just 16.5% of opponents’ possessions resulting in a turnover.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Wildcats winning the first matchup 77-66. Gibbs put up 21 points and 10 assists.
The Dukes have gone 15-7 Straight Up (SU) and 10-9 Against The Spread (ATS). The Dukes have no trouble scoring as they rank 40th in the nation in offense with 79.4 points per game. The Dukes are one of the best in Division I in terms of three-point field goals, making 8.0 shots per game from beyond the arc. The rebounding edge goes to the Dukes in this matchup, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 40.7 boards per game. The Dukes have really locked down opponents on the defensive end, ranking 43rd in the country with a .401 opponent field-goal percentage.
In the other locker room, the Wildcats have been a poor bet so far, with a disappointing record of 5-13-1 ATS. Their SU record, 12-8, hasn’t been quite as bad. Offensively, they average 80.2 points per game, which is good for 33rd in the country. The Wildcats rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking 40th in the nation with 198 made (9.0 per game). The Wildcats are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking 14th in Division I at 1.53.
The Wildcats’ win over Duquesne in their last clash bumped their SU record to 3-0. The Wildcats also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 3-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – Dav, ATS Winner – Dav
Notes
“Duquesne is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games “.
“Duquesne is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 6 of Duquesne’s last 7 games “.
“Duquesne is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Davidson’s last 7 games on the road”.
Duquesne averages 79.4 points per game (ranked 40th). Davidson, on the other hand, allows 79.6 points per game (ranked 236th).
Duquesne scores 83.9 points per home game (ranked 33rd). Davidson ranks a poor 245th in points allowed on the road, allowing 85.0 points.
Ranked 75th, the Davidson Wildcats have an offensive rating of 110.8. The Duquesne Dukes rank 151st with a defensive rating of just 101.9.
The Duquesne Dukes average a field goal percentage of 46.1% this season. The Davidson Wildcats have a losing record of 3-8 when opponents have a FG% of 46.1% or greater.
The Duquesne Dukes and the Davidson Wildcats both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Duquesne is 75th and 49th in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Davidson is 206th and 113th in these categories.
Duquesne ranks 60th in assists, recording 15.6 per game. Davidson ranks 76th with 15.3 assists per game.
Duquesne, the 31st-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 40.7 rebounds per game. Davidson does worse, ranked 257th with 35.0.
The Duquesne Dukes make an average of 5.0 steals per game. When the Davidson Wildcats allow 5 or more steals, they are a winning 8-4.
