The Memphis Tigers will host a showdown against the IUPUI Jaguars at the FedExForum. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Dec. 22 and will air on ES3.
The Tigers lost to Ole Miss 85-79 on Friday. Despite the loss, Dedric Lawson earned his fifth double-double this season with 21 points and 14 rebounds. The Jaguars, meanwhile, are coming off an 82-68 win over Southern Utah on Saturday. Marcellus Barksdale had a good game, accounting for 15 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
The Memphis defense could make it difficult on the shooters from IUPUI. It ranks 24th in the nation in forcing misses (opponents’ eFG% of 43.4%), while the IUPUI offense is 281st with a mark of 46.8%. Furthermore, the 294th-ranked offense of the Jaguars (offensive efficiency of 97.2) will face a tough test against the 23rd-ranked defense of the Tigers (defensive efficiency of 91.1).
This one isn’t expected to be close when Memphis, a considerable 14-point favorite, takes on IUPUI. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently 145 points. The Tigers enter the game with records of 7-3 Straight Up (SU) and 3-5 Against The Spread (ATS). The Tigers are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throws made, making an impressive 23.0 per game. Memphis has an edge in the rebounding department for this game, where it racks up an average of 43.3 rebounds per game. Turning to the defensive side, teams have to fight for open shots against the Tigers, who have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the country at .378. The Tigers are the fifth-best team in the country at blocking shots, averaging 6.7 blocks per game.
As for their opponent, the Jaguars head into the game with records of 6-6 ATS and 4-9 SU.
These two will be facing off in their first head-to-head clash of the season. When they last met the Tigers were winners, bumping their SU record to 1-0 over IUPUI.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mem, ATS Winner – Mem, O/U – Over
Notes
Memphis is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home.
The Memphis Tigers have a defensive rating of 91.1 (ranked 23rd), while the IUPUI Jaguars have an offensive rating of 97.2 (ranked 294th).
The Memphis Tigers average a field goal percentage of 42.1% this season. The IUPUI Jaguars have an underachieving record of 2-8 when opponents have a FG% of 42.1% or greater.
The Memphis Tigers rank higher based on their field goal percentage (253rd) than their effective field goal percentage (299th). The IUPUI Jaguars rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (281st) than their field goal percentage (292nd).
Memphis ranks 72nd in assists, registering 15.5 per game. IUPUI performs worse at 307th with 11.4 assists per game.
Ranked 15th in the nation, Memphis averages 43.3 rebounds per game. IUPUI ranks lower at 270th with 34.8 RPG.
IUPUI ranks 194th in offensive rebounds, while Memphis ranks at 16th in defensive rebounds.
Memphis has forced an average turnover percentage of 20.3% this season. IUPUI has a subpar 2-6 record when its TO% is 20.3% or higher.
