It will be a battle between Sun Belt opponents when the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (15-12) welcome the Georgia State Panthers (15-12) to Cajun Dome. Action begins at 8:15 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 3.
The Ragin’ Cajuns are hoping to rebound after their 83-70 loss to South Alabama in their last matchup. Despite the loss, Shawn Long earned his 21st double-double this season with 25 points and 13 rebounds. The Panthers, meanwhile, are coming off an 83-70 win over Appalachian State in their last outing. Jeremy Hollowell led the team in scoring with 18 points on 6-for-13 shooting.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Ragin’ Cajuns winning the first matchup 87-54. Long finished with 23 points and 18 rebounds.
The Ragin’ Cajuns are looking to build on their records of 15-12 Straight Up (SU) and 10-13 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 1-8-1 ATS over their last 10 games. The Ragin’ Cajuns have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 63.4 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 79.7 points per game. The Ragin’ Cajuns have a distinct advantage on the boards in this matchup. They are the sixth-ranked rebounding team in Division I, averaging 41.9 per game, while the Panthers rank 334th in the nation with 31.6 per game. Louisiana-Lafayette’s defense has put it all together in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game dropped to 65.9 during that span, compared to its 73.2 season average. Louisiana-Lafayette’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation, allowing just 6.0 three-pointers per game.
Over on the other bench, the Panthers have 15-12 SU and 7-17-1 ATS records. Georgia State has been playing better lately, averaging 75.9 PPG, significantly more than their season average of 65.2. The last 10 games have really brought the worst out of the Panthers on the defensive end. They allowed 70.2 points per game during that span, which is higher than their season average of 64.0. The Georgia State defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only .398 shooting from the field to its opponents.
Louisiana-Lafayette won the last meeting this season between these two teams, taking the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. On the other hand, with a 5-4 record, Louisiana-Lafayette has the advantage ATS. Louisiana-Lafayette held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Georgia State never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Louis, ATS Winner – Louis
Notes
Louisiana-Lafayette averages 79.7 points per game this season. Georgia State is one of the best teams in points allowed, giving up just 64.0 points per game (ranked 17th).
Georgia State scores just 61.8 points per away game (ranked 249th). Louisiana-Lafayette ranks 98th in points allowed at home, giving up 66.9 points.
On average, Louisiana-Lafayette has 72.0 possessions per game and scores 1.107 points on each possession. Georgia State has both fewer possessions (65.6) and scores fewer points during those possessions (.994).
Louisiana-Lafayette has an average effective field goal percentage of 49.3%. Georgia State is an abysmal 2-7 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns average 20.0 three point attempts per game and are 8-7 when attempting at least 20 in a game. The Georgia State Panthers average 14.0 attempts and have a winning record (3-1) when attempting 20 or more.
The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns are the fifth-ranked team in offensive rebounds, while the Georgia State Panthers are the 327th-ranked team in defensive rebounds.
The Georgia State Panthers average 6.6 steals per game. When giving up 6 or more steals, the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns are an even 6-6 this season.
