It will be a battle between SthLnd opponents when the Houston Baptist Huskies (4-7) welcome the Lamar Cardinals (7-6) to Sharp Gymnasium. The game begins at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 2, 2019.
Lamar Cardinals at Houston Baptist Huskies Betting Prediction
The Cardinals come in on a high note after dismantling the Huston-Tillotson Rams in their last outing, 79-59. The Cardinals had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (58.1 vs. 37.2) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.611 vs. 0.402). With 19 points on 7-for-7 shooting, Josh Nzeakor led Lamar in scoring.
In the Huskies’ last game, they were blown out by the Arizona Wildcats, 90-60. Getting to the free throw line was one of Arizona’s biggest strengths. They made 36 trips to the line, while Houston Baptist went 27 times. With 15 points on 4-for-11 shooting, Jalon Gates led Houston Baptist in scoring.
After the Cardinals won both matchups against the Huskies last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the last matchup, Lamar won 87-73. The Cardinals made 17 of their 19 free throws (89.5 percent) and had a better turnover percentage (15.7 vs. 17.7).
The offense of Houston Baptist will square off against the stingy defense of Lamar. The Huskies rank 207th in offensive efficiency, while the Cardinals are 78th in defensive efficiency. The Cardinals figure to have the edge on that end of the court. Also, the Cardinals could control the offensive glass in this matchup as they rank 45th in the NCAA in offensive rebounding percentage at 38.2 percent. The Huskies, meanwhile, rank 256th at grabbing defensive rebounds with a defensive rebounding percentage of 68.0 percent.
Lamar at Houston Baptist Betting Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Lamar, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Lamar averages 41.2 rebounds per game, which ranks 59th in the nation. Houston Baptist ranks 192nd in rebounds allowed per game (35.9).
The Cardinals average 15.8 assists per game, which ranks 102nd in the nation. The Huskies rank 197th in assists allowed per game (14.9).
Lamar ranks 15th in steals per game (10.2) while Houston Baptist ranks 105th in steals allowed per game (6.4).
The Cardinals rank 148th in blocks per game (3.2) while the Huskies rank 154th in blocks allowed per game (4.2).
Bettings Trends:
The Cardinals’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 13.4, down from 13.5 for the season.
During their last five games, the Huskies have scored an average of 73.8 points per game (9.0 below their season average) and allowed an average of 87.0 points per game (1.8 above their season average).
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