The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (14-9) visit UT Arlington to play the Mavericks (17-7) in a matchup that pits the Sun Belt’s top-ranked offense against the sixth-ranked defense. The game gets underway at 8:15 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 18.
The Mavericks enter this game hoping for similar success after thoroughly outplaying Appalachian State 91-60 the last time they played. Jalen Jones led all scorers on the team with 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting. The Ragin’ Cajuns are coming off a 68-64 loss at the hands of Little Rock in their last game. Johnathan Stove had a team-high 18 points.
The attacking Louisiana-Lafayette offense seems poised to make an impact from the foul line. It ranks 32nd in the nation at getting to the stripe (FTA rate of 43.1), while UT Arlington is among the nation’s most foul-prone squads (giving up a 279th-ranked FTA rate of 41.0).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Ragin’ Cajuns winning the first matchup 90-75. Shawn Long put up a double-double in the victory with 22 points and 15 rebounds.
The Mavericks have gone 17-7 Straight Up (SU) and 15-7 Against The Spread (ATS). The Mavericks come into the game with the 23rd-ranked scoring offense in the nation, averaging 81.0 points per game. UT Arlington is known to control the offensive glass, where it racks up an impressive 15.5 offensive rebounds per game. Turning to the defensive side, teams have to fight for open shots against the Mavericks, who have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the country at .399.
Across the court, the Ragin’ Cajuns have records of 8-11 ATS and 14-9 SU. The Ragin’ Cajuns have controlled the offensive glass with an average of 14.2 offensive rebounds per game, ninth in the country.
Louisiana-Lafayette beat UT Arlington in their most recent meeting this season, bumping its SU record over their most recent meetings to 5-1. The Ragin’ Cajuns also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 4-2. Louisiana-Lafayette held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice, while UT Arlington was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Tx-Ar, ATS Winner – Tx-Ar
Notes
UT Arlington is one of the top-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 81.0 points per game (ranked 23rd). Louisiana-Lafayette, on the other hand, allows 73.2 points per game (ranked 171st).
UT Arlington is one of the top-scoring teams at home, averaging 85.6 points per game (ranked 14th). Louisiana-Lafayette, on the other hand, allows 80.1 points per away game (ranked 218th).
UT Arlington won its last game by a 31-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Louisiana-Lafayette is 7-2. UT Arlington is 10-0 in blowouts this season.
Ranked 14th, the UT Arlington Mavericks have one of the top defenses in the country, giving up just 94.2 points per 100 possessions. The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns rank 47th in offense, scoring 112.8 points in the same number of possessions.
UT Arlington has an average field goal percentage of 42.5%. Louisiana-Lafayette is a losing 4-7 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The UT Arlington Mavericks rank lower for their field goal percentage (254th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (207th), but the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns have a better FG% ranking (106th) than eFG% ranking (152nd).
Ranked 11th in the nation, UT Arlington has an average of 17.4 assists per game. Louisiana-Lafayette ranks lower at 241st with 12.5.
UT Arlington ranks among the best in the nation in rebounding at second (44.2 rebounds per game). Louisiana-Lafayette is ranked 15th with 41.3 rebounds per game.
When it comes to offensive rebounds, Louisiana-Lafayette ranks ninth. UT Arlington ranks 17th in defensive rebounds.
Opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 21.2% when playing UT Arlington this season. Louisiana-Lafayette is undefeated (3-0) when its TO% is 21.2% or higher.
