The South Dakota State Jackrabbits (10-3) square off against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (7-3) at Sanford Pentagon. The game starts at 5:30 pm ET on Sunday, Dec. 27.
The Jackrabbits were beaten by Weber State 99-95 the last time they played. Deondre Parks finished with 23 points to lead the game. The Blue Raiders, meanwhile, are coming off a tough 64-62 loss at the hands of Georgia State in their last outing. Reggie Upshaw scored 18 points and recorded 10 rebounds earning his third double-double of the season.
South Dakota State is a four-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is presently unavailable. The Jackrabbits enter the game with records of 10-3 Straight Up (SU) and 7-2 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 5-2 ATS. The Jackrabbits are a dangerously accurate shooting team from the line with a .755 free throw percentage, one of the highest marks in Division I.
On the other side, the Blue Raiders head into the game with records of 5-4-1 ATS and 7-3 SU.
This game marks the first time South Dakota State and Middle Tennessee have played one another in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – SDakSt, ATS Winner – SDakSt
Notes
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Middle Tennessee’s last 6 games on the road.
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits average 78.8 points per game, ranking 82nd in the nation. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders rank 95th in points allowed with 66.9.
Middle Tennessee scores just 66.8 points per away game (ranked 219th). South Dakota State ranks 73rd in points allowed at home, giving up 61.4 points.
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits have a defensive rating of 96.3 (ranked 87th), while the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders have an offensive rating of 100.9 (ranked 241st).
South Dakota State has an average field goal percentage of 46.2%. Middle Tennessee is an even 1-1 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits and the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. South Dakota State is 81st and 74th in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Middle Tennessee is 170th and 133rd in these categories.
South Dakota State ranks 129th in offensive rebounds, while Middle Tennessee ranks 19th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Middle Tennessee forces a turnover rate of 19.1%. When South Dakota State turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 4-1 record.
