The Quinnipiac Bobcats will be at Gallagher Center to face off against the Niagara Purple Eagles in a Metro Atlantic Athletic matchup. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Friday, Dec. 4.
The Purple Eagles are hoping to rebound after their 88-70 loss to Youngstown State in their last matchup. Emile Blackman was the game’s leading scorer, contributing 23 points. The Bobcats, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 58-54 loss at the hands of Albany in their last game. Daniel Harris led the game in scoring with 19 points.
Niagara is a slight two-point underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 141 points. The Purple Eagles have gone 2-5 Straight Up (SU) and 3-3 Against The Spread (ATS).
Quinnipiac is one of the better rebounding teams in Division I. The Bobcats average 46.0 rebounds per game, making them the sixth-best team in the country for that category. The Quinnipiac defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only 4.0 field goals from three-point range per game. When it comes to defending the rim, the Bobcats are the best in the nation with an average of 8.2 blocks per game.
Niagara and Quinnipiac will be squaring off for the first time this season. In their most recent meeting a season ago, Quinnipiac came out on top, moving its SU record against Niagara to 6-1 in their most recent head-to-head meetings. The Bobcats also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 3-2. Quinnipiac held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once, while Niagara was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Quinni, ATS Winner – Quinni, O/U – Over
Notes
Niagara is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games.
Niagara is 5-16 SU in its last 21 games at home.
Niagara scores an average of just 67.1 points per game (ranked 296th). Quinnipiac ranks 94th in points allowed, giving up 66.4 points per game.
Quinnipiac has an average field goal percentage of 35.8%. Niagara is an abysmal 1-5 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Niagara Purple Eagles rank higher based on their field goal percentage (279th) than their effective field goal percentage (292nd). The Quinnipiac Bobcats rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (343rd) than their field goal percentage (350th).
Quinnipiac ranks tops in the nation with 8.2 blocks per game. Niagara is outside the top 100 with 4.0 per game (ranked 119th).
Niagara ranks 82nd in offensive rebounding. Quinnipiac ranks 136th in defensive rebounding.
On average, Niagara makes 5.0 steals per game. Quinnipiac is a losing 1-3 when it gives up at least 5 steals.
