The Northeastern Huskies (22-9, 15-4 CAA) square off with the UNCW Seahawks (11-20, 8-11 CAA) in the Colonial Conference Tourney at North Charleston Coliseum. The game starts at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday, March 5, 2018, and will air on CBS Sports Network.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 152.5 points with Northeastern set as a 7-point favorite.
UNCW Seahawks vs. Northeastern Huskies Betting Prediction
The Seahawks come in on a high note after beating the Hofstra Pride in their last game, 93-88. The Seahawks knocked down 21 of their 26 free throws (80.8 percent) and held the Pride to an offensive rebounding percentage of 25.6 (below their season average of 31.3). With 37 points on 12-for-23 shooting, Jordon Talley was the game’s high scorer.
The last time the Huskies played, they won big over the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens, 74-50. The Huskies held the Fightin’ Blue Hens to an offensive rebounding percentage of 13.9 (below their season average of 27.6) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.370 (below their season average of 0.512). With 15 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, Vasa Pusica had a good outing for Northeastern.
Northeastern could dominate on the offensive side of the ball as their sweet-shooting offense goes up against one of the worst defenses in the NCAA. The Huskies rank 17th in effective field goal percentage (0.567), while UNCW ranks 333rd in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.553). This contest should be a showdown of opposite paces. The fast-breaking Seahawks rank 19th in possessions per game, while the more methodical Huskies rank 263rd.
UNCW holds records of 11-20 straight up (SU) and 11-16-1 against the spread (ATS). Of the Seahawks’ 28 games that accepted bets, 17 have finished over the O/U total.
Northeastern is 22-9 SU, but they have a difficult time covering the spread (12-14-1 ATS). Unlike UNCW, just over half of Huskies games have finished under the total.
Both teams have had a player take their game to the next level over their last five games. Talley (16.6 points, 7.0 assists and 1.2 steals) has been great for the Seahawks while Pusica (22.8 points and 4.8 assists) has made solid contributions to the Huskies.
The Huskies have won both contests against the Seahawks this season, including a seven-point victory the last time these teams met. Northeastern was unable to cover as an 11-point favorite and the game finished with a total of 207 points, which was 56 points above the projected point total of 151 points. The Huskies had a much better free throw rate (0.391 vs. 0.253) and had a better turnover percentage (5.4 vs. 7.2). Pusica had a standout performance in the victory, producing 24 points and nine assists.
UNCW Seahawks vs. Northeastern Huskies Free Pick
College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Northeastern, ATS Winner – UNCW, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
UNCW ranks seventh in rebounds per game (40.9) while Northeastern ranks 252nd (32.5).
The Huskies rank fourth in three pointers allowed per game (15.8) while the Seahawks rank 242nd (23.8).
Northeastern ranks 18th in assists allowed per game (10.5) while UNCW ranks 171st (13.8).
The Huskies are 16th in the nation with 2.4 blocks allowed per game while the Seahawks are 59th with 2.9 blocks allowed per game.
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, UNCW is 3-2 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
Northeastern is 2-2-1 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over over their last five games.
The Seahawks have outscored opponents by an average of 0.6 points in their last five games. On the season, UNCW has been defeated by an average of 3.2 points.
During their last five games, the Huskies have scored an average of 75.8 points per game (1.1 above their season average) and allowed an average of 64.0 points per game (4.9 below their season average).
