It will be a battle between Sun Belt opponents when the Georgia State Panthers (14-12) welcome the Appalachian State Mountaineers (7-21) to GSU Sports Arena. The game gets underway at 2:30 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 27 and can be seen on ES3.
The Panthers lost a winnable game to Georgia Southern 54-52 on Tuesday. Isaiah Williams finished with 22 points to lead the game. The Mountaineers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their ugly 88-63 loss to that same Georgia Southern squad on Thursday. Griffin Kinney played well for Appalachian State, recording nine points, seven rebounds, and one steal.
It could be a mistake-prone game for the Appalachian State offense, which ranks 329th in the nation in ball security (TO% of 21.7%). It’ll be facing the disruptive Georgia State defense, which forces the 24th-most turnovers in the nation (21.9%).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Mountaineers won the first game 76-67. Frank Eaves had a stellar game with 25 points, four rebounds, one assist, one steal, and five three-pointers.
The Panthers come into this game 14-12 Straight Up (SU) and 6-17-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Georgia State has averaged 74.1 points per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 64.5. Opposing teams know they’re in for a battle when they play Georgia State’s stingy defense. The Panthers are one of the top teams when it comes to defense, allowing just 63.7 points per game. Georgia State’s defense can be considered one of the best in the country. The Panthers allow a .399 opponent field-goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the country. Georgia State will look to take advantage of the Mountaineers and their propensity to foul. Appalachian State ranks 313th in the nation in fouls, averaging 21.7 per game.
Over on the other bench, the Mountaineers have records of 14-12 ATS and 7-21 SU. Appalachian State has been particularly bad ATS over its past 10 matchups, going 0-9-1. During the last 10 games, they averaged 61.8 PPG, below their 70.3 PPG season average. The Mountaineers have controlled the offensive glass with an average of 12.7 offensive rebounds per game, 50th in the country. The last 10 games have really brought out the best of the Mountaineers on the defensive end. They’ve allowed 66.5 points per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 77.8.
With the Mountaineers’ last win against the Panthers, their SU record against Georgia State moves to 2-1. Additionally, with a 2-1 record, Appalachian State has the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – App, ATS Winner – App
Notes
“Georgia State is 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games “.
“Georgia State is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Georgia State’s last 5 games “.
“Georgia State is 20-3 SU in its last 23 games at home”.
Appalachian State averages 70.3 points per game, placing the team just 189th in the nation. Georgia State ranks 15th in points allowed, giving up 63.7 points per game.
In its last game, Appalachian State lost by a margin of 25 points. Georgia State is 3-2 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Appalachian State has a 1-7 record in blowouts.
With 65.6 possessions and .983 points per possession, the Georgia State Panthers perform worse on both metrics than the Appalachian State Mountaineers. Appalachian State averages 70.3 possessions and 1.000 points per possession.
The Georgia State Panthers average an effective field goal percentage of 47.9% this season. The Appalachian State Mountaineers have an abysmal record of 2-17 when opponents have an eFG% of 47.9% or greater.
On average, Georgia State attempts 14.0 three pointers and Appalachian State attempts 23.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Georgia State Panthers have a winning 3-1 record while the Appalachian State Mountaineers have a poor 5-16 record.
On average, Georgia State makes 6.6 steals per game. Appalachian State is an underachieving 4-14 when it gives up at least 6 steals.
