The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (3-18) look to end their seven-game losing streak when they take on the Idaho Vandals (14-9) at Walkup Skydome. The game gets underway at 4:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 6.
The Lumberjacks were beaten by Eastern Washington 84-73 on Thursday. Marcus DeBerry played well for Northern Arizona, contributing 16 points, five rebounds, and one steal. The Vandals, meanwhile, are coming off a 68-44 win over Southern Utah on Thursday. Ty Egbert led the game in scoring with 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting.
Second-chance points might be scarce for the Lumberjacks in this matchup. They rank 336th in the nation in offensive rebounding (OR% of 23.5%), while Idaho is 11th-best in the nation on the defensive glass (DR% of 76.1%).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Vandals won the first game 83-76. Victor Sanders was a standout player in the game, producing 33 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals, three blocks, and four three-pointers.
The Lumberjacks enter the game with records of 3-18 Straight Up (SU) and 4-12 Against The Spread (ATS). The Northern Arizona defense is doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games. It is allowing an average of 66.8 points per game, well under their season average of 82.9.
On the other side, Idaho has a SU record of 14-9 and an ATS record of 10-9. The Vandals are one of the top defensive teams in the nation, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 65.0 points allowed per game.
Idaho won the last meeting this season between these two teams, evening up the two teams’ head-to-head record (1-1). The Lumberjacks hold the advantage ATS with a record of 2-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – Idaho, ATS Winner – Idaho
Notes
“Northern Arizona is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games “.
“Northern Arizona is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Northern Arizona’s last 7 games “.
“Northern Arizona is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home”.
“Northern Arizona is 15-8 SU in its last 23 games at home”.
“Northern Arizona is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
Northern Arizona is struggling at 1-9 SU in its conference, while Idaho sits at 6-4 SU.
Northern Arizona scores just 77.6 points per home game (ranked 124th). Idaho ranks 12th in points allowed on the road, giving up 64.3 points.
The Idaho Vandals have a defensive rating of 96.6 (ranked 44th), while the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks have an offensive rating of 95.4 (ranked 323rd).
Northern Arizona has an average field goal percentage of 40.1%. Idaho is a poor 5-8 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks and the Idaho Vandals both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Northern Arizona is 328th and 308th in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Idaho is 186th and 172nd in these categories.
The Idaho Vandals average 5.3 steals per game. When giving up 5 or more steals, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks have an abysmal record (1-15) this season.
