The Saint Joseph’s Hawks (5-5) square off against the Loyola Chicago Ramblers (7-5) at Palestra. The game starts at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 22, 2018, and will air on CBS Sports Network.
Loyola Chicago Ramblers vs. Saint Joseph’s Hawks ATS Prediction
In the Ramblers’ last game, they dismantled the UMKC Kangaroos, 76-45. The Ramblers had a much better free throw rate (0.189 vs. 0.088) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.623 vs. 0.351). With 19 points on 6-for-8 shooting, Cooper Kaifes was the game’s high scorer.
The Hawks were victorious over the Old Dominion Monarchs in their last contest, 79-64. The Hawks had a much better free throw rate (0.315 vs. 0.113) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.574 vs. 0.460). With 17 points and 14 rebounds, Saint Joseph’s’ Pierfrancesco Oliva had a good game.
Both teams have had a player take their game to the next level over their last five games. Marques Townes (0 points) has been stellar for the Ramblers while Charlie Brown (0 points) has contributed greatly to the Hawks.
Second-chance opportunities could be hard to come by for Saint Joseph’s in this matchup. The Hawks are among the country’s elite on the offensive glass, ranking 336th in offensive rebounding percentage at 21.4 percent. Meanwhile, Loyola Chicago ranks 45th in the nation at corralling defensive rebounds with a defensive rebounding percentage of 79.5 percent. Also, the Ramblers rank 14th in effective field goal percentage (0.563), whereas the porous defense of the Hawks ranks 295th with an effective field goal percentage allowed of 0.533.
Loyola Chicago at Saint Joseph’s Betting Pick
Free College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Saint Joseph’s, ATS Winner – Saint Joseph’s, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Loyola Chicago ranks 73rd in three pointers allowed per game (20.5) while Saint Joseph’s ranks 250th (27.8).
The Ramblers rank 20th in rebounds allowed per game (30.9) while the Hawks rank 162nd (36.2).
Loyola Chicago averages 15.3 assists per game, which ranks 58th in the nation. Saint Joseph’s ranks 181st in assists allowed per game (15.0).
The Hawks rank 23rd in steals allowed per game (5.0) while the Ramblers rank 113th (7.2).
Saint Joseph’s ranks 45th in blocks allowed per game (2.8) while Loyola Chicago ranks 82nd (3.9).
Bettings Trends:
The Ramblers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 14.8, up from 8.0 for the season.
During their last five games, the Hawks have scored an average of 78.6 points per game (0.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 74.0 points per game (2.1 below their season average).
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