Expect a low-scoring game when the Loyola Chicago Ramblers (18-12) and Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (20-11) face off in the Championship of the CBI tournament at Fant-Ewing Coliseum. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Apr. 1 and can be seen on CBSSN.
The Warhawks played well in their last game, topping Vermont 71-65 in the semifinals. Majok Deng was the team’s leading scorer with 11 points on 5-for-11 shooting. The Ramblers, meanwhile, are coming off a 63-48 win against Seattle in the semifinals. Christian Thomas claimed his first double-double of the season with 21 points and three assists.
The Warhawks may have trouble getting to the line in this one. They’re 350th in the nation in FTA rate (27.2), while Loyola (Chicago) is among the nation’s least foul-prone squads (yielding a FTA rate of just 28.3, 24th in the country). Moreover, foul-shooting opportunities could prove to be quite rare for the Ramblers. They are 268th in the nation in FTA rate (33.3), while the Warhawks are among the nation’s least foul-prone teams (allowing a rate of just 29.3, ranking 32nd in the country).
The odds for Louisiana-Monroe and Loyola (Chicago) are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently not available. The Warhawks have gone 24-12 Straight Up (SU) and 20-11 Against The Spread (ATS).
In the other locker room, the Ramblers have 22-13 SU and 20-11 ATS records. Loyola (Chicago) performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record.
Louisiana-Monroe and Loyola (Chicago) will be facing off for their first head-to-head game in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – ULM, ATS Winner – ULM
Notes
Louisiana-Monroe 18-6-1 SU in its last 25 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Louisiana-Monroe’s last 6 games at home.
Louisiana-Monroe averages 64.4 possessions per game, scoring 1.002 points on each possession. While Loyola (Chicago) averages fewer possessions per game with 60.2, they score more points per possession with 1.028.
Louisiana-Monroe has an average effective field goal percentage of 47.6%. Loyola (Chicago) is a subpar 6-10 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks attempt 16.4 three point field goals per game and the Loyola Chicago Ramblers attempt 15.4. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Louisiana-Monroe has a split 3-3 record, while Loyola (Chicago) is 3-2.
Louisiana-Monroe, the 80th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.3 per game. Loyola (Chicago) does worse, ranked 306th with 2.3.
Loyola (Chicago) ranks 327th in offensive rebounds, while Louisiana-Monroe ranks at 40th in defensive rebounds.
