It will be a battle between Summit opponents when the Western Illinois Leathernecks (5-8) welcome the South Dakota State Jackrabbits (10-5) to Western Hall. The game gets underway at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, December 28, 2018.
South Dakota State Jackrabbits vs. Western Illinois Leathernecks Free Prediction
The Jackrabbits come in on a high note after beating the Grand Canyon Antelopes in their last outing, 79-74. The Jackrabbits had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (38.9 vs. 27.7) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.543 vs. 0.407). South Dakota State received a boost from Mike Daum, who contributed 20 points and 13 rebounds.
In the Leathernecks’ last game, they lost to the Creighton Bluejays, 78-67. Creighton’s 0.548 effective field goal percentage was their biggest advantage over Western Illinois, who had a rate of 0.428. Western Illinois’ Kobe Webster had a good performance, leading both teams in scoring with 24 points on 10-for-22 shooting.
After the Jackrabbits won all three contests against the Leathernecks last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the last contest, South Dakota State won 66-60. The Jackrabbits had a much better free throw rate (0.266 vs. 0.107) and had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (28.6 vs. 12.1).
Both teams have had a player step their game up over their last five games. Daum (0 points) has been great for the Jackrabbits while Webster (0 points) has made great contributions to the Leathernecks.
Second-chance opportunities could be few and far between for Western Illinois in this meeting. The Leathernecks rank 302nd in offensive rebounding percentage (24.8 percent), while South Dakota State ranks 27th in defensive rebounding percentage (76.7 percent). Moreover, the Jackrabbits are among the country’s elite at getting to the line, ranking 47th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.288). The Leathernecks, however, rank 28th at keeping opponents off the charity stripe with an opponents’ FTA rate of 0.172.
South Dakota State vs. Western Illinois ATS Pick
Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – South Dakota State, ATS Winner – Western Illinois, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
South Dakota State averages 39.4 rebounds per game, which ranks 47th in the country. Western Illinois ranks 196th in rebounds allowed per game (38.0).
The Leathernecks rank 28th in blocks per game (4.9) while the Jackrabbits rank 157th (2.0).
Western Illinois ranks 144th in three pointers allowed per game (23.3) while South Dakota State ranks 244th (31.1).
Bettings Trends:
The Jackrabbits’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 7.0, down from 12.7 for the season.
During their last five games, the Leathernecks have scored an average of 80.4 points per game (6.6 above their season average) and allowed an average of 70.0 points per game (0.1 below their season average).
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