The No. 4 Auburn Tigers (25-7) challenge the No. 13 Charleston Cougars (26-7) in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl. The game is scheduled to start at 7:27 p.m. ET on Friday, March 16, 2018.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 148 points with Auburn set as a 9.5-point favorite.
Charleston Cougars vs. Auburn Tigers Free Prediction
The Cougars will be hoping for a similar result after defeating the Northeastern Huskies in the , 83-76. Making free throws was one of Charleston’s largest strengths. They were 21-22 (95.5 percent), while the Huskies were just 7-9 (77.8 percent). With 32 points on 7-for-16 shooting, Joe Chealey was the game’s high scorer.
In the , the Tigers got blown out by the Alabama Crimson Tide, 81-63. One of Alabama’s biggest strengths was getting to the charity stripe. They had 30 free throw attempts, while Auburn had 22. Auburn’s DeSean Murray put up 15 points and eight rebounds in the contest.
This showdown figures to be a high-scoring affair as two of the nation’s premier offenses go head-to-head. Auburn currently ranks 24th with 114.6 points per 100 possessions and Charleston is 40th (113.0). Furthermore, the Cougars rank seventh in turnover percentage (14.5 percent), while the Tigers rank 52nd in opponents’ turnover percentage (21.0 percent).
Grant Riller has averaged 25.8 points over the last five games for Charleston.
Charleston Cougars vs. Auburn Tigers Odds Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Auburn, ATS Winner – Charleston, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Auburn ranks 51st in rebounds per game (38.2) while Charleston ranks 263rd (33.0).
The Tigers rank 38th in steals per game (7.4) while the Cougars rank 214th (5.2).
Auburn ranks 103rd in assists per game (14.4) while Charleston ranks 265th (11.4).
The Tigers rank 24th in three pointers attempted per game (26.6) while the Cougars rank 176th (21.2).
Auburn ranks 11th in blocks per game (5.4) while Charleston ranks 106th in blocks allowed per game (3.2).
Bettings Trends:
The Cougars’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 7.0, up from 6.3 for the season.
During their last five games, the Tigers have scored an average of 76.0 points per game (7.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 77.0 points per game (3.7 above their season average).
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