It will be a battle between SoCon opponents when the Western Carolina Catamounts (6-18, 3-8 SoCon) welcome the Furman Paladins (18-5, 7-4 SoCon) to the Ramsey Center. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 7, 2019, and will air on ESPN 3.
Furman Paladins vs. Western Carolina Catamounts ATS Prediction
The last time the Paladins played, they topped the Mercer Bears, 74-63. Furman’s 0.711 effective field goal percentage was their largest advantage over Mercer, who had a mark of 0.384. The Paladins’ mark was above their season average of 0.552, while the Bears’ was below their season average of 0.534. Furman was lifted by Jordan Lyons, who was the game’s high scorer with 24 points on 10-for-17 shooting.
The Catamounts were beaten by the Samford Bulldogs in their last game, 92-81. Samford’s effective field goal percentage was their biggest strength over Western Carolina. The Bulldogs had a rate of 0.690 (above their season average of 0.546), while the Catamounts posted a mark of 0.539. With 21 points on 7-for-17 shooting, Onno Steger led Western Carolina in scoring.
This will be the second game of the season between these two squads. In the first, Matt Rafferty had 21 points and 15 rebounds and the Paladins defeated the Catamounts 90-88. The Paladins had a better free throw rate (0.205 vs. 0.150) and had a better offensive rebounding percentage (34.1 vs. 29.6).
Western Carolina might struggle to find the bottom of the net as they battle against one of the nation’s best defenses. Furman currently ranks 45th in defensive efficiency, while the Catamounts rank 260th in offensive efficiency.
Furman Paladins vs. Western Carolina Catamounts Betting Pick
Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Furman, ATS Winner – Furman, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Furman ranks 12th in steals per game (9.0) while Western Carolina ranks 228th (4.4).
The Paladins rank 22nd in assists per game (16.5) while the Catamounts rank 187th (12.3).
Furman averages 29.2 three pointers per game, which ranks sixth in the nation. Western Carolina ranks 91st in three pointers allowed per game (21.4).
The Paladins rank 66th in blocks per game (3.9) while the Catamounts rank 150th in blocks allowed per game (4.0).
Western Carolina ranks 28th in rebounds allowed per game (31.4) while Furman ranks 109th (34.2).
Bettings Trends:
The Paladins’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 5.8, down from 11.5 for the season.
During their last five games, the Catamounts have scored an average of 79.6 points per game (7.8 above their season average) and allowed an average of 87.8 points per game (7.8 above their season average).
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