The Missouri State Bears (11-16) and the Loyola Chicago Ramblers (13-14) wrap up the regular season when they battle at JQH Arena. Action begins at 4:00 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 21 and can be seen on ES3.
The Bears are hoping for a better outcome after their 99-68 loss to Wichita State on Thursday. Obediah Church finished with 14 points to lead the team. The Ramblers, meanwhile, are coming off a 59-56 win over Northern Iowa on Wednesday. Milton Doyle led the team in scoring by recording 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting.
Over the last five games, Chris Kendrix has really been playing well for the Bears. During that stretch, he has averaged 18.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 2.4 three-pointers.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Bears won the first game 56-54. Earl Peterson had a standout performance with 18 points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one three-pointer in the loss.
The Bears are hoping to improve on their records of 11-16 Straight Up (SU) and 11-14-1 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 7-3 ATS. Missouri State’s defense has put it all together in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game dropped to 66.4 during that span, compared to its 73.4 season average.
In the other locker room, the Ramblers have records of 11-15 ATS and 13-14 SU. During the last 10 games, they averaged 71.5 PPG, above their 64.4 PPG season average. Loyola Chicago is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the nation, making .749 of their shots from the line. Shifting to the other side of the court, the Ramblers allow just 64.6 points per game, ranking them 23rd in the nation.
Following the Bears’ latest win over Loyola Chicago, Missouri State moved closer to evening up its record against Loyola Chicago. It now stands at 2-3 SU over their most recent meetings. Furthermore, with a 3-2 record, Loyola Chicago has the advantage ATS. Loyola Chicago held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Missouri State never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – MoStU, ATS Winner – MoStU
Notes
Missouri State scores an average of just 68.0 points per game (ranked 220th). Loyola Chicago ranks 23rd in points allowed, giving up 64.6 points per game.
Missouri State lost its last game by a 31-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Loyola Chicago is 1-3. Missouri State is 3-4 in blowouts this season.
The Loyola Chicago Ramblers have a defensive rating of 99.3 (ranked 87th), while the Missouri State Bears have an offensive rating of 98.1 (ranked 305th).
Missouri State has an average field goal percentage of 41.6%. Loyola Chicago is a poor 4-11 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Missouri State Bears and the Loyola Chicago Ramblers both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Missouri State is 314th and 286th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Loyola Chicago ranks 226th and 206th in these categories.
The Missouri State Bears average 6.2 steals per game. When allowing 6 or more steals, the Loyola Chicago Ramblers are an even 9-9 this season.
