It will be a battle between A10 opponents when the La Salle Explorers (8-12, 2-5 A10) welcome the Massachusetts Minutemen (10-10, 3-4 A10) to Tom Gola Arena. The game begins at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 24, 2018.
La Salle opened as a 7-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 140 points.
Massachusetts Minutemen at La Salle Explorers Betting Prediction
The Minutemen are trying to rebound after their 66-47 loss to the Saint Louis Billikens in their last contest. Saint Louis’ offensive rebounding percentage was their largest strength over Massachusetts. The Billikens had a rate of 59.3 (above their season average of 31.4), while the Minutemen posted a mark of 40.0. Luwane Pipkins was Massachusetts’ high scorer with 17 points on 6-for-15 shooting.
In the Explorers’ last game, they were beaten by the Richmond Spiders, 81-74. Richmond’s 14.9 turnover percentage was their biggest strength over La Salle, who had a mark of 21.3. The Spiders’ mark was better than their season average of 16.4, while the Explorers’ was above their season average of 14.5. La Salle’s B.J. Johnson had a solid game, leading both teams in scoring with 27 points on 12-for-21 shooting.
La Salle should be expected to protect the ball well in this contest. La Salle ranks 51st in the nation at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 16.8 percent), while Massachusetts forces the 100th-fewest turnovers (18.1 percent).
Massachusetts comes into the game with records of 10-10 straight up (SU) and 9-8 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has a tendency to place the total high when the Minutemen are involved, as 58.8 percent of their games have ended under the O/U total.
Meanwhile, La Salle owns records of 8-12 SU and 7-10-2 ATS. Unlike Massachusetts, Explorers games have a tendency to finish over the total (68.4 percent).
Both teams have had a player step their game up over their last five games. Pipkins (24.8 points and 4.8 assists) has been fantastic for the Minutemen while Isiah Deas (16.2 points and 8.2 rebounds) has contributed greatly to the Explorers.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. Pipkins scored a game-high 44 points in the first game, in which the Minutemen defeated the Explorers 86-79, covering as 3-point favorites. He also recorded five rebounds and five assists. The game finished with a total of 165 points, which was 29 points above the projected point total of 136 points. Massachusetts had a better turnover percentage (12.4 vs. 14.2). La Salle, meanwhile, had a better offensive rebounding percentage (24.3 vs. 20.6).
Massachusetts Minutemen vs. La Salle Explorers Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – La Salle, ATS Winner – La Salle, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Massachusetts is 4-4 ATS with 6 unders and 2 overs.
At home, La Salle is 4-4 ATS with 7 overs and 1 under.
La Salle ranks 41st in three pointers allowed per game (19.1) while Massachusetts ranks 44th (19.3).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Massachusetts is 3-2 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
La Salle is 0-5 ATS with 5 overs over their last five games.
The Minutemen’s average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 5.8, up from 0.6 for the season.
During their last five games, the Explorers have scored an average of 79.2 points per game (6.3 above their season average) and allowed an average of 83.0 points per game (9.0 above their season average).
