This matchup between the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans and East Carolina Pirates will take place at Orleans Arena. Action begins at 2:00 pm ET on Thursday, Nov. 26.
The Pirates are hoping for a better outcome after their 79-54 loss to San Diego State on Monday. B.J. Tyson played well for East Carolina, recording nine points, eight rebounds, and two assists. The Trojans, meanwhile, are coming off a 49-43 win over that same San Diego State squad on Saturday. Josh Hagins shot 6 for 13 and led in scoring with 14 points.
East Carolina is a small two-point underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 131 points. The Pirates look to improve upon their records of 2-2 Straight Up (SU) and 2-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Pirates are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .752 from the free throw line. East Carolina’s defense can be considered for best in the country, allowing a Division I-best .432 opponent field-goal percentage.
On the other side, the Trojans are a perfect 3-0 SU and 1-0 ATS so far. The Trojans allow just 49.7 points per game, ranking them first in the nation. Teams seem to consistently miss shots against the Trojans, who are the top team in the nation in terms of opponent field goal percentage allowed at .331.
This game will be the first meeting for East Carolina and Arkansas-Little Rock in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ark-LR, ATS Winner – Ark-LR, O/U – Under
Notes
East Carolina lost its last game by a 25-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Arkansas-Little Rock is 2-0. East Carolina is 0-1 in blowouts this season.
The East Carolina Pirates have the nation’s top defense, with a defensive rating of 103.4. The Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans have an offensive rating of 108.6 (ranked 149th).
The Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans average a field goal percentage of 43.3% this season. The East Carolina Pirates have a losing record of 1-2 when opponents have a FG% of 43.3% or greater.
The East Carolina Pirates average 16.0 three point attempts per game, and the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans attempt 25.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, East Carolina is winless (0-1), while Arkansas-Little Rock is undefeated (3-0).
Arkansas-Little Rock, the 76th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 41.7 rebounds per game. East Carolina does worse, ranked 248th with 35.5.
The East Carolina Pirates average 6.0 steals per game. The Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans are undefeated at 1-0 when they allow at least 6 steals.
