The South Dakota Coyotes will travel to US Cellular Arena to take on the Milwaukee Panthers. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Thursday, Dec. 17 and can be seen on ES3.
The Panthers enter this game hoping for similar success after blowing out Judson 125-74 on Sunday. Akeem Springs was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points on 9-for-11 shooting. The Coyotes, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 77-67 loss against Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday. Tre Burnette played well for South Dakota, recording 14 points, two steals, and two blocks.
The Coyotes may not find many second-chance opportunities in this matchup. They’re ranked 326th in the nation in offensive rebounding (OR% of 24.0%), whereas Milwaukee is 15th-best in the nation on the defensive glass (DR% of 76.9%).
Milwaukee is a nine-point favorite against South Dakota and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at 148 points. The Panthers have gone 8-3 Straight Up (SU) and 5-4 Against The Spread (ATS). The Panthers are one of the best in Division I in terms of three-point field goals, making 9.0 shots per game from beyond the arc. Milwaukee is one of the best passing teams in the nation with an average of 18.7 assists per game. Milwaukee will look to take advantage of the Coyotes and their propensity to foul. South Dakota ranks 314th in the nation in fouls, averaging 22.4 per game.
Over on the other bench, the Coyotes have records of 4-3 ATS and 6-4 SU. The Coyotes convert their shots at a high percentage, ranking 40th in the country at .485. The Coyotes are an unselfish team with an average of 17.6 assists per game, ranking 27th in Division I.
These two will be squaring off for the first time this season. In their most recent meeting a season ago, South Dakota came out on top, bringing the head-to-head record to an even 1-1 SU. With a 1-0 record, the Coyotes have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – UW-Mil, ATS Winner – SouDak, O/U – Over
Notes
Wisc-Milwaukee is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home.
South Dakota averages 77.3 points per away game (ranked 44th). Milwaukee allows 62.0 points per home game (ranked 90th).
Ranked 69th, the Milwaukee Panthers have an offensive rating of 112.4. The South Dakota Coyotes rank 266th with a defensive rating of just 106.4.
Milwaukee has an average field goal percentage of 46.3%. South Dakota is an even 1-1 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Milwaukee Panthers rank lower for their field goal percentage (85th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (58th), but the South Dakota Coyotes have a better FG% ranking (40th) than eFG% ranking (50th).
Milwaukee ranks among the best in the nation in assists at 19th (18.7 assists per game). South Dakota is ranked 27th with 17.6 assists per game.
The South Dakota Coyotes make an average of 5.7 steals per game. When the Milwaukee Panthers give up 5 or more steals, they are a solid 5-3.
