The Pepperdine Waves (6-4) take on the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (3-5) at Firestone Fieldhouse. The game starts at 10:00 pm ET on Friday, Dec. 18.
The Waves were victorious over Ball State 72-63 in their last game. Stacy Davis played a key role, recording 16 points and 12 rebounds to notch his fourth double-double this season. The Ragin’ Cajuns are coming off an 89-80 loss at the hands of UCLA in their last outing. Shawn Long scored 26 points and recorded 16 rebounds earning his fifth double-double of the season.
Pepperdine, a four-point favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Louisiana-Lafayette. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at 156 points. The Waves look to build on their records of 6-4 Straight Up (SU) and 3-6 Against The Spread (ATS). The Waves have limited opponents’ efforts from beyond the arc, allowing 4.0 three-pointers made per game.
Across the court, the Ragin’ Cajuns head into the game with records of 1-4 ATS and 3-5 SU. Louisiana-Lafayette is one of the better rebounding teams in Division I. The Ragin’ Cajuns average 42.5 rebounds per game, making them the 26th-best team in the country for that category.
This game marks the first time Pepperdine and Louisiana-Lafayette have played one another in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Louis, ATS Winner – Louis, O/U – Over
Notes
Pepperdine is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Pepperdine’s last 8 games.
Pepperdine is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
Louisiana-Lafayette is one of the top-scoring teams, averaging 88.8 points per game (ranked fifth). Pepperdine allows 65.3 points per game (ranked 61st).
The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns rank 39th for their offensive rating of 115.2. The Pepperdine Waves have a defensive rating of 94.3 (ranked 61st).
Louisiana-Lafayette has an average field goal percentage of 47.3%. Pepperdine is an even 2-2 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Pepperdine Waves and the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Pepperdine is 224th and 178th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Louisiana-Lafayette ranks 83rd and 62nd in these categories.
Louisiana-Lafayette, the 26th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 42.5 rebounds per game. Pepperdine does worse, ranked 191st with 36.9.
When it comes to offensive rebounds, Louisiana-Lafayette ranks 24th. Pepperdine ranks 208th in defensive rebounds.
Louisiana-Lafayette has forced an average turnover percentage of 18.5% this season. Pepperdine has a losing 1-2 record when its TO% is 18.5% or higher.
