It will be a battle between CUSA opponents when the UAB Blazers (11-5, 2-1 CUSA) welcome the Southern Miss Golden Eagles (9-8, 2-2 CUSA) to Bartow Arena. The game begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 11, 2018.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 138 points with UAB set as a 14-point favorite.
Southern Miss Golden Eagles at UAB Blazers ATS Prediction
The last time the Golden Eagles played, they defeated the UTSA Roadrunners, 93-83. Southern Miss was successful at getting and making free throws. The Golden Eagles made 29 of their 35 free throws (82.9 percent), while the Roadrunners were just 8-10 (80.0 percent). Cortez Edwards fueled Southern Miss with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
The Blazers defeated the FIU Golden Panthers in their last game, 75-64. UAB’s offensive rebounding percentage was their largest advantage over FIU. The Blazers had a rate of 34.5 (above their season average of 33.3), while the Golden Panthers posted a mark of 24.4. Chris Cokley was the top scorer from either team with 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting.
UAB could have their way on the offensive side of the ball as their sweet-shooting offense goes up against one of the NCAA’s worst defenses. The Blazers rank 50th in effective field goal percentage (0.552), while Southern Miss ranks 311th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.542). Furthermore, second chance points figure to be tough to come by for the Golden Eagles. They rank 323rd in the NCAA in offensive rebounding percentage at 23.0 percent, while the Blazers are 31st-best on the defensive glass (defensive rebounding percentage of 75.3 percent).
Southern Miss comes into the contest with records of 9-8 straight up (SU) and 6-6 against the spread (ATS). Vegas is known to place the total low when the Golden Eagles are involved, as 66.7 percent of their games have ended over the total.
Meanwhile, UAB owns records of 11-5 SU and 6-4 ATS. Vegas has been spot on when predicting totals of Blazers games, with an even split between overs and unders.
After the Blazers won the lone contest against the Golden Eagles last season, 87-43, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Blazers had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.638 vs. 0.232) and had a better turnover percentage (13.0 vs. 16.5).
Southern Miss Golden Eagles vs. UAB Blazers Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – UAB, ATS Winner – Southern Miss, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Southern Miss is 3-6 ATS on the road with 5 overs and 4 unders.
At home, UAB is 2-1 ATS with 3 unders and 0 overs.
UAB ranks 49th in rebounds per game (38.9) while Southern Miss ranks 247th (31.9).
The Blazers average 16.7 assists per game, which ranks 35th in the NCAA. The Golden Eagles rank 169th in assists allowed per game (14.4).
Southern Miss ranks 37th in steals per game (7.8) while UAB ranks 132nd (5.9).
The Blazers rank 206th in three pointers attempted per game (19.5) while the Golden Eagles rank 257th in three pointers allowed per game (27.0).
UAB is 49th in the NCAA with 2.8 blocks allowed per game while Southern Miss is 53rd with 2.9 blocks allowed per game.
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Southern Miss is 3-2 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
UAB is 2-1 ATS with 2 unders and 1 push over their last five games.
The Golden Eagles have been outscored by an average of 4.2 points in their last five games. On the season, Southern Miss has defeated opponents by an average of 1.9 points.
During their last five games, the Blazers have scored an average of 71.6 points per game (7.8 below their season average) and allowed an average of 59.0 points per game (6.6 below their season average).
