The Pepperdine Waves (3-9) will attempt to put an end to their five-game road losing streak in a matchup against the Santa Clara Broncos (3-9) at Leavey Center. The game is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 28, 2017.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 142 points with Santa Clara opening as a 6-point favorite.
Pepperdine Waves at Santa Clara Broncos ATS Prediction
The last time the Waves played, they were beaten by the Weber State Wildcats, 72-67. Weber State’s 0.192 free throw rate was their largest strength over Pepperdine, who had a mark of 0.129. The Wildcats’ mark was below their season average of 0.226, while the Waves’ was below their season average of 0.284. Colbey Ross was Pepperdine’s high scorer with 11 points on 3-for-8 shooting.
The Broncos lost to the San Jose State Spartans in their last game, 75-63. One of San Jose State’s largest advantages was getting to the charity stripe. They made 33 trips to the line, while Santa Clara went just 15 times. Santa Clara’s KJ Feagin had a solid game, leading both teams in scoring with 24 points on 8-for-24 shooting.
Half-court execution will be of utmost importance when two of the NCAA’s slowest-paced teams face off. Santa Clara currently ranks 300th in possessions per game (67.8) and Pepperdine is 256th (69.1).
Pepperdine heads into the game with records of 3-9 straight up (SU) and 4-6-1 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when setting the O/U total of Waves games, with 6 unders compared to 5 overs.
Meanwhile, Santa Clara is 3-9 SU and 1-8 ATS. Of the Broncos’ 9 games that accepted bets, 6 have finished over the O/U total.
After the Broncos won both games against the Waves last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the most recent contest, Santa Clara won 106-55. The Broncos had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (34.8 vs. 12.9) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.820 vs. 0.441).
Pepperdine Waves at Santa Clara Broncos ATS Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Santa Clara, ATS Winner – Santa Clara, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Pepperdine is 2-2-1 ATS on the road with 4 unders and 1 over.
At home, Santa Clara is 1-5 ATS with 5 overs and 1 under.
Santa Clara ranks 50th in three pointers attempted per game (25.8) while Pepperdine ranks 254th (16.8).
The Broncos rank 77th in assists per game (15.3) while the Waves rank 236th in assists allowed per game (18.4).
Pepperdine ranks 131st in rebounds per game (36.3) while Santa Clara ranks 257th (29.9).
The Broncos rank 20th in steals allowed per game (4.9) while the Waves rank 83rd (6.2).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Pepperdine is 2-2-1 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
Santa Clara is 0-4 ATS with 3 overs and 1 push over their last five games.
The Waves’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 5.6, up from 5.2 for the season.
During their last five games, the Broncos have scored an average of 69.2 points per game (3.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 75.4 points per game (2.1 above their season average).
