The Citadel Bulldogs (9-5, 1-2 SoCon) welcome the East Tennessee State Buccaneers (13-4, 3-1 SoCon) in a matchup that pits phenomenal offense against exceptional defense. The game gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 10, 2019.
East Tennessee State Buccaneers at Citadel Bulldogs ATS Prediction
In the Buccaneers’ last game, they were defeated by the Georgia State Panthers, 74-68. Getting to the free throw line was one of Georgia State’s largest strengths. They had 29 free throw attempts, while East Tennessee State had 18. Isaiah Tisdale was East Tennessee State’s leading scorer with 19 points on 6-for-11 shooting.
The Bulldogs lost big to the No. 22 Clemson Tigers in their last outing, 100-80. Clemson’s 21.4 offensive rebounding percentage was their biggest advantage over Citadel, who had a rate of 8.3. Lew Stallworth had a good game for Citadel, leading the team in scoring with 15 points on 4-for-12 shooting.
This matchup pits one of the country’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses. Citadel ranks seventh in offensive efficiency and East Tennessee State is 22nd in defensive efficiency. Moreover, the Buccaneers, who rank fourth in offensive rebounding percentage (39.5 percent), will attempt to exploit the Bulldogs, who rank 312th in defensive rebounding percentage (67.6 percent).
Both teams have had a player step their game up over their last five games. Jeromy Rodriguez (0 points) has been stellar for the Buccaneers while Stallworth (0 points) has made solid contributions to the Bulldogs.
After splitting two games last season, these teams will meet for the first time this year. In the last game, the Bulldogs won 84-82. Converting at the free throw line was one of Citadel’s biggest strengths. They were 19-23 (82.6 percent), while the Buccaneers were just 8-15 (53.3 percent).
East Tennessee State Buccaneers at Citadel Bulldogs Free Pick
Free Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Citadel, ATS Winner – Citadel, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Citadel ranks second in three pointers attempted per game (37.6) while East Tennessee State ranks 150th in three pointers allowed per game (23.1).
Bettings Trends:
The Buccaneers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 16.0, up from 15.1 for the season.
During their last five games, the Bulldogs have scored an average of 105.0 points per game (8.2 above their season average) and allowed an average of 82.8 points per game (4.1 below their season average).
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