The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (24-10) battle against the Boston College Eagles (19-15) in the NIT at E.A. Diddle Arena. The game can be seen on ESPN 3 at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 13, 2018.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 161.5 points with Western Kentucky set as a 5-point favorite.
Boston College Eagles at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers ATS Prediction
In the Eagles’ last matchup, they were topped by the No. 19 Clemson Tigers, 90-82. Clemson’s 8.9 turnover percentage was their biggest strength over Boston College, who had a rate of 11.1. The Tigers’ mark was better than their season average of 16.0. Ky Bowman was Boston College’s leading scorer with 23 points on 6-for-16 shooting.
The Hilltoppers lost a tough one against the Marshall Thundering Herd in their last matchup, 67-66. Marshall’s turnover percentage was their largest advantage over Western Kentucky. The Thundering Herd had a rate of 11.5 (better than their season average of 15.7), while the Hilltoppers posted a mark of 13.4. With 21 points on 5-for-17 shooting, Justin Johnson led Western Kentucky in scoring.
A focal point for the Western Kentucky offense is getting to the free throw line. The Hilltoppers rank 28th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.289), but Boston College is among the best in the nation at keeping opponents away from the charity stripe (ranking 57th by yielding a FTA rate of 0.202).
Boston College comes into the contest with records of 19-15 straight up (SU) and 15-12-1 against the spread (ATS). Games including the Eagles have typically finished over the projected point total (64.3 percent).
Meanwhile, Western Kentucky is 24-10 SU and 20-12 ATS. Vegas is highly precise when setting the total of Hilltoppers games, with an even split between overs and unders.
Both teams have had a player step their game up over their last five games. Ky Bowman (22.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.0 steals) has been stellar for the Eagles while Justin Johnson (17.8 points and 10.4 rebounds) has made great contributions to the Hilltoppers.
Boston College Eagles at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Free Pick
College Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Western Kentucky, ATS Winner – Western Kentucky, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Boston College ranks 81st in three pointers attempted per game (23.9) while Western Kentucky ranks 296th (15.3).
The Hilltoppers rank 48th in steals per game (7.3) while the Eagles rank 221st (5.0).
Boston College ranks 110th in assists per game (14.3) while Western Kentucky ranks 171st in assists allowed per game (13.8).
The Hilltoppers rank 130th in rebounds per game (35.8) while the Eagles rank 154th in rebounds allowed per game (34.8).
Bettings Trends:
The Eagles’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 2.4, up from 2.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Hilltoppers have scored an average of 71.6 points per game (6.8 below their season average) and allowed an average of 73.8 points per game (3.7 above their season average).
—–
