The Northern Iowa Panthers (13-11) visit the Drake Bulldogs (6-17) in what should be a low-scoring game. Action begins at 2:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 6 and can be seen on CCS.
The Bulldogs are hoping to rebound after their 63-56 loss to Indiana State on Tuesday. Ore Arogundade had a good outing, putting up 15 points, eight rebounds, and two steals for Drake. The Panthers, meanwhile, are coming off a 57-54 win against Evansville on Wednesday. Jeremy Morgan had a good game for Northern Iowa, accounting for 12 points, four rebounds, and two blocks.
Half-court execution will be of utmost importance when two of the nation’s slowest-paced teams square off. Drake ranks 301st in possessions per game (66.6), while Northern Iowa is 345th (64.3). Moreover, the Panthers rank 30th in eFG% at 54.2%, whereas the suspect field-goal defense of the Bulldogs places 265th with opponents connecting at a clip of 51.1%.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Panthers winning the first matchup 77-44. Matt Bohannon had a stellar game with 21 points, six rebounds, two assists, and five three-pointers.
The Bulldogs have gone 6-17 Straight Up (SU) and 7-13 Against The Spread (ATS). The Bulldogs have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 62.3 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 69.0 points per game. The Bulldogs are one of the best in Division I in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .404 from beyond the arc. The Drake defense has been on fire lately, allowing an average of 61.5 points per game, well under their season average of 72.0.
In the other locker room, the Panthers have 13-11 SU and 11-12 ATS records. Northern Iowa has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 2-8 record. The Panthers rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking 35th in the nation with 204 made (8.0 per game). Moving on to the Northern Iowa defense, the Panthers allow just 65.3 points per game, ranking them 32nd in the nation. Taking care of the basketball is something the Panthers do very well, averaging just 10.3 turnovers per game.
The Panthers’ win over Drake in their last clash bumped their SU record over their most recent meetings to 8-2. The Panthers also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-2-1. Northern Iowa held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers four times in the last five matchups. On the other side of the court, Drake never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – NoIa, ATS Winner – NoIa
Notes
“Drake is 2-9 ATS in its last 11 games “.
“Drake is 1-10 SU in its last 11 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 6 of Drake’s last 7 games “.
“Drake is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games at home”.
“Drake is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of Drake’s last 5 games at home”.
“Drake is 1-7-1 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Northern Iowa”.
“Drake is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing Northern Iowa”.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Drake’s last 7 games when playing Northern Iowa”.
“Drake is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Northern Iowa”.
The Drake Bulldogs currently sit below 0.500 against the Missouri Valley Conference at 1-10 SU, while the Northern Iowa Panthers have a 5-6 SU record.
Drake scores just 76.5 points per home game (ranked 138th). Northern Iowa ranks 41st in points allowed on the road, giving up 68.6 points.
Drake averages 66.6 possessions per game, scoring 1.035 points on each possession. While Northern Iowa averages fewer possessions per game with 64.3, they score more points per possession with 1.078.
Drake has an average effective field goal percentage of 52.6%. Northern Iowa is a losing 3-8 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Drake Bulldogs attempt 18.0 three point field goals per game and the Northern Iowa Panthers attempt 22.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Drake has an underachieving record of 1-9, while Northern Iowa is 8-9.
On average, Northern Iowa makes 5.4 steals per game. Drake is a losing 4-11 when it allows at least 5 steals.
