It will be a battle between Summit opponents when the North Dakota State Bison (6-8, 1-0 Summit) welcome the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons (9-7, 1-0 Summit) to the Scheels Center. The game gets underway at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, December 30, 2018.
Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons at North Dakota State Bison ATS Prediction
In the Mastodons’ last outing, they were thoroughly outplayed by the No. 21 UCLA Bruins, 96-71. UCLA won the rebounding battle. The Bruins had more offensive rebounds (13 vs. six), defensive rebounds (39 vs. 22) and total rebounds (52 vs. 28). John Konchar led Purdue Fort Wayne in scoring with 25 points on 11-for-18 shooting.
The Bison fell to the New Mexico State Aggies in their last game, 73-56. New Mexico State won the rebounding battle. The Aggies had 15 offensive rebounds and 47 total rebounds, while the Bison had five and 31, respectively. North Dakota State’s Rocky Kreuser had a solid game, leading both teams in scoring with 23 points on 9-for-11 shooting.
After the Mastodons won two out of three meetings against the Bison last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the most recent contest, North Dakota State won 86-82. The Bison knocked down 19 of their 24 free throws (79.2 percent) and had a better offensive rebounding percentage (16.1 vs. 14.3).
Konchar has averaged 0 points over the last five games for Purdue Fort Wayne.
Purdue Fort Wayne might have a difficult time creating turnovers. North Dakota State ranks 64th in the country at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 17.0 percent), while Purdue Fort Wayne forces the 221st-most turnovers (19.1 percent). It will also be a battle of contrasting styles as the up-and-down Mastodons rank 43rd in possessions per game, while the more methodical Bison rank 296th.
Purdue Fort Wayne at North Dakota State ATS Pick
Basketball Pick: SU Winner – North Dakota State, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Purdue Fort Wayne ranks 35th in assists per game (16.3) while North Dakota State ranks 198th (11.7).
The Bison rank 43rd in three pointers attempted per game (26.5) while the Mastodons rank 176th in three pointers allowed per game (24.2).
Purdue Fort Wayne ranks 45th in steals per game (8.1) while North Dakota State ranks 171st (5.1).
The Mastodons rank 140th in rebounds per game (36.5) while the Bison rank 242nd (31.2).
Purdue Fort Wayne ranks 41st in blocks per game (4.8) while North Dakota State ranks 139th (2.4).
Bettings Trends:
The Mastodons’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 5.0, down from 6.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Bison have scored an average of 74.0 points per game (2.6 above their season average) and allowed an average of 71.2 points per game (1.3 below their season average).
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