It will be a battle between Conference USA opponents when the North Texas Mean Green (9-16) welcome the FIU Golden Panthers (12-14) to The Super Pit. The game begins at 8:00 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 18.
The Mean Green were blown out by Charlotte 103-79 in their last matchup. Jeremy Combs was the game’s high scorer with 24 points. The Golden Panthers are coming off a 79-65 win over Texas San Antonio in their last game. Daviyon Draper played well for FIU, posting 18 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.
Over the last five games, Combs has been playing at a high level for the Mean Green. During that stretch, he has averaged 17.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 2.2 steals.
The Mean Green have gone 9-16 Straight Up (SU) and 5-14-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their past 10 games, the North Texas defense has been playing lights out, only allowing 69.1 points per game, well under their season average of 79.1.
Across the court, FIU has a SU record of 12-14 and an ATS record of 11-8-1. Most recently, FIU is a meager 3-7 ATS over the last 10 games. FIU is one of the top shooting teams in the country, converting .475 of its shots from the floor. The last 10 games have really brought the worst out of the Golden Panthers on the defensive end. They allowed 80.4 points per game during that span, which is higher than their season average of 69.0. The Golden Panthers have one of the best opponent three-point field goal percentages in the country at .314. Blocking shots is an area where FIU has excelled. The Golden Panthers average 4.9 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the nation. FIU may be taking trips to the free throw line early and often with the Mean Green averaging 22.0 fouls per game, one of the highest marks in Division I.
These conference rivals meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. North Texas won the last game in the matchup, bringing its SU record to 8-2 over FIU in their most recent games. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, North Texas held the edge in all three of these categories one time in the last five meetings. FIU never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – NorTx, ATS Winner – NorTx
Notes
“North Texas is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games “.
“North Texas is 2-7 SU in its last 9 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of North Texas’s last 6 games “.
“North Texas is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home”.
“North Texas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Florida International”.
“North Texas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing Florida International”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of North Texas’s last 5 games when playing Florida International”.
“North Texas is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Florida International”.
“North Texas is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Florida International”.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of North Texas’s last 5 games when playing at home against Florida International”.
North Texas averages 75.2 points per game, placing the team just 107th in the nation. FIU ranks 96th in points allowed, giving up 69.0 points per game.
In its last game, North Texas lost by a margin of 24 points. FIU is 2-2 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. North Texas has a 3-9 record in blowouts.
The North Texas Mean Green average a field goal percentage of 46.3% this season. The FIU Golden Panthers are a winless 0-4 when opponents have a FG% of 46.3% or greater.
The North Texas Mean Green and the FIU Golden Panthers both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. North Texas is 127th and 72nd in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while FIU ranks 70th and 34th in these categories.
FIU, the 42nd-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.9 per game. North Texas does worse, ranked 188th with 3.3.
The North Texas Mean Green average 6.6 steals per game. When giving up 6 or more steals, the FIU Golden Panthers have a poor record (4-8) this season.
