The North Texas Mean Green (15-16, 8-10 CUSA) go head-to-head with the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (16-15, 7-11 CUSA) in the Conference USA Conference Tourney at Ford Center at The Star. The game begins at 9:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 7, 2018.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 140 points with Louisiana Tech opening as a 2.5-point favorite.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs. North Texas Mean Green Betting Prediction
The Bulldogs are hoping for a better outcome after their 72-64 loss to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles in their last matchup. Southern Miss’ effective field goal percentage was their largest advantage over Louisiana Tech. The Golden Eagles had a rate of 0.604 (above their season average of 0.507), while the Bulldogs posted a mark of 0.432 (below their season average of 0.528). Amorie Archibald was Louisiana Tech’s leading scorer with 21 points on 8-for-16 shooting.
The last time the Mean Green played, they lost a close one to the UTEP Miners, 68-66. UTEP’s effective field goal percentage was their biggest strength over North Texas. The Miners had a rate of 0.578 (above their season average of 0.500), while the Mean Green posted a mark of 0.446 (below their season average of 0.517). North Texas’ Ryan Woolridge had a solid performance, leading the team in scoring with 17 points on 7-for-17 shooting.
Second-chance points might be few and far between for Louisiana Tech in this contest. The Bulldogs currently rank 214th in offensive rebounding percentage (27.9 percent), while North Texas ranks 61st in defensive rebounding percentage (74.2 percent).
Louisiana Tech heads into the contest with records of 16-15 straight up (SU) and 10-17 against the spread (ATS). Bulldogs games tend to go under the total (66.7 percent).
Meanwhile, North Texas owns records of 15-16 SU and 15-10 ATS. Much like Louisiana Tech, Mean Green games also have typically finished under the projected point total (60.0 percent).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, Anthony Duruji scored a game-high 25 points and the Bulldogs defeated the Mean Green 66-65 but did not cover as 7-point favorites. He also recorded seven rebounds. The game finished with a total of 131 points, which was 9 points below the projected point total of 140 points. Louisiana Tech had a much better free throw rate (0.360 vs. 0.177). North Texas, on the other hand, had a much better turnover percentage (14.6 vs. 22.5).
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs. North Texas Mean Green Betting Pick
College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Louisiana Tech, ATS Winner – Louisiana Tech, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Louisiana Tech ranks 62nd in blocks per game (4.0) while North Texas ranks 185th in blocks allowed per game (4.1).
The Mean Green rank 24th in assists allowed per game (11.0) while the Bulldogs rank 145th (13.4).
North Texas ranks 68th in rebounds per game (37.6) while Louisiana Tech ranks 164th in rebounds allowed per game (35.0).
The Bulldogs rank 147th in steals per game (6.0) while the Mean Green rank 230th (4.9).
Louisiana Tech is 44th in the NCAA with 19.4 three pointers allowed per game while North Texas is 51st with 19.6 three pointers allowed per game.
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Louisiana Tech is 1-4 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
North Texas is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 push over their last five games.
The Bulldogs have been outscored by an average of 4.8 points in their last five games. On the season, Louisiana Tech has defeated opponents by an average of 4.4 points.
During their last five games, the Mean Green have scored an average of 68.0 points per game (5.3 below their season average) and allowed an average of 69.4 points per game (2.2 below their season average).
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