The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns (15-11) will travel to Mitchell Center to meet the South Alabama Jaguars (12-16) in their home finale. Action begins at 5:05 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 27.
The Jaguars are hoping to rebound after their 66-59 loss to Louisiana-Monroe on Thursday. Georgi Boyanov had a good outing, putting up 13 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks for South Alabama. The Ragin’ Cajuns, meanwhile, are coming off a 73-63 win against Troy on Thursday. Shawn Long claimed his 20th double-double of the season with 29 points and 20 rebounds.
Louisiana-Lafayette may control the offensive boards in this matchup, as they place 16th in the nation in OR% at 37.7%. On the other hand, South Alabama ranks 270th in the nation on the defensive glass with a DR% of 68.4%.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Ragin’ Cajuns winning the first matchup 92-82. Kasey Shepherd had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 27 points, three rebounds, one assist, two steals, and six three-pointers.
The Jaguars come into this game 12-16 Straight Up (SU) and 13-13 Against The Spread (ATS). The Jaguars have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 77.7 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 68.9 points per game.
Over on the other bench, the Ragin’ Cajuns have 15-11 SU and 10-12 ATS records. Offensively, they average 80.1 points per game, which is good for 25th in the country. The Ragin’ Cajuns get to the line and convert their free throws at a high volume, ranking 49th in the nation with 484 made (18.0 per game). The Ragin’ Cajuns have controlled the offensive glass with an average of 14.4 offensive rebounds per game, seventh in the country. Moving on to the Louisiana-Lafayette defense, the Ragin’ Cajuns allow very few three-pointers on defense with 6.0 given up per game.
In their previous meeting this season, Louisiana-Lafayette beat South Alabama, but the win was not enough to overtake South Alabama in their recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 3-7 SU over the most recent meetings. With an 8-2 record, the Jaguars also have the advantage ATS. During their latest five matchups, neither team ever held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers.
Predictions: SU Winner – Louis, ATS Winner – Louis
Notes
“South Alabama is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of South Alabama’s last 6 games “.
“South Alabama is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“South Alabama is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 6 of South Alabama’s last 9 games at home”.
“South Alabama is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing Louisiana-Lafayette”.
“South Alabama is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games when playing Louisiana-Lafayette”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of South Alabama’s last 5 games when playing Louisiana-Lafayette”.
“South Alabama is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Louisiana-Lafayette”.
“South Alabama is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Louisiana-Lafayette”.
Louisiana-Lafayette is one of the top-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 80.1 points per game (ranked 25th). South Alabama, on the other hand, allows 73.0 points per game (ranked 172nd).
Ranked 66th, the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns have an offensive rating of 111.3. The South Alabama Jaguars rank 180th with a defensive rating of just 103.8.
The South Alabama Jaguars average a field goal percentage of 40.8% this season. The Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns have a poor record of 5-8 when opponents have a FG% of 40.8% or greater.
The South Alabama Jaguars and the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. South Alabama is 314th and 308th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Louisiana-Lafayette ranks 201st and 156th in these categories.
Louisiana-Lafayette, the fifth-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 42.0 rebounds per game. South Alabama ranks 96th with 37.9.
When it comes to offensive rebounds, Louisiana-Lafayette ranks seventh. South Alabama ranks 173rd in defensive rebounds.
South Alabama averages a forced turnover rate of 18.7% this season. Louisiana-Lafayette has a 4-6 record when it suffers a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
