The UAB Blazers (16-3) will attempt to keep their 13-game winning streak alive when they compete against the North Texas Mean Green (7-12) at Bartow Arena. The game gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Saturday, Jan. 23.
The Blazers enter this game hoping for similar success after topping Rice 82-70 on Thursday. Nick Norton had a good outing, contributing 18 points, four rebounds, and four assists for the Blazers. The Mean Green are coming off an awful 86-64 loss to Middle Tennessee on Thursday. J-Mychal Reese had a game-high 20 points.
Over the last five games, William Lee has been playing at a high level for the Blazers, averaging 15.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 3.6 blocks, and 1.4 three-pointers. On the other side, the Mean Green have been led by Jeremy Combs. He has been on a tear, averaging 20.8 points, 14.6 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 2.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks in the same time frame.
The high-octane offense of UAB (30th in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 114.6) will square off against the porous defense of North Texas (272nd in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 107.7), a matchup that should favor the Blazers.
This one isn’t expected to be close when UAB, a considerable 15-point favorite, takes on North Texas. The matchup currently has a 151-point Over/Under (O/U). The Blazers come into this game 16-3 Straight Up (SU) and 8-6 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 5-2 ATS. The Blazers have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 86.4 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 79.0 points per game. UAB has consistently been near the top of the nation in terms of field goal percentage, currently ranking 22nd in the nation with a FG% of .487. UAB is one of the best passing teams in the nation with an average of 19.0 assists per game. Transitioning to the UAB defense, teams really have to fight for open three-pointers against the Blazers, who have one of the best opponent three-point field goal percentages in the nation at .305. An area where the Blazers are particularly strong is shot blocking, where they average 6.6 blocks per game, third in Division I. UAB will look to take advantage of the Mean Green and their propensity to foul. North Texas ranks 318th in the nation in fouls, averaging 22.2 per game.
On the other side, the Mean Green have records of 3-10-1 ATS and 7-12 SU.
The conference foes meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. North Texas won the last game in the matchup, moving its SU record against the Blazers to 2-0. Furthermore, North Texas leads the matchup ATS with a record of 2-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – UAB, ATS Winner – UAB, O/U – Over
Notes
UAB is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of UAB’s last 6 games.
UAB is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
UAB averages 79.0 points per game (ranked 62nd). North Texas, on the other hand, allows 79.5 points per game (ranked 321st).
UAB scores 82.7 points per home game (ranked 68th). North Texas ranks a poor 337th in points allowed on the road, allowing 85.4 points.
Ranked 30th, the UAB Blazers have an offensive rating of 114.6. The North Texas Mean Green rank 272nd with a defensive rating of just 107.7.
The North Texas Mean Green average 73.9 possessions per game and 1.041 points per possession. The UAB Blazers earn fewer possessions with 69.0, but they score more points with 1.146.
The UAB Blazers have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking 23rd in the country with an eFG% of 55.0%. When their opponents record a similar or higher eFG%, the North Texas Mean Green are winless with a 0-6 record.
Ranked fifth in the nation, UAB has an average of 19.0 assists per game. North Texas ranks lower at 291st with 11.7.
The UAB Blazers average 6.6 blocks per game, the third-ranked team in the country. The North Texas Mean Green rank a lowly 159th in blocking with just 3.6 per game.
North Texas ranks 175th in offensive rebounds, while UAB ranks at 36th in defensive rebounds.
On average, North Texas forces a turnover rate of 17.6%. When UAB turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a stellar 7-2 record.
