It will be a battle between CUSA opponents when the Rice Owls (5-9, 0-1 CUSA) welcome the Southern Miss Golden Eagles (8-5, 0-1 CUSA) to Tudor Fieldhouse. The game starts at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 3, 2019.
Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Rice Owls ATS Prediction
In the Golden Eagles’ last matchup, they blew out the Southeastern Baptist Chargers, 111-66. The Golden Eagles had a much better free throw rate (0.269 vs. 0.100) and had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (43.5 vs. 20.4). Southern Miss received a boost from Cortez Edwards, who recorded eight points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Owls beat the St. Leo Lions in their last game, 80-64. The Owls had a much better free throw rate (0.379 vs. 0.196) and had a much better turnover percentage (14.4 vs. 25.9). With 13 points and 10 rebounds, Rice’s Jack Williams played well.
A focal point for the Rice offense is getting to the free throw line. The Owls rank 57th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.280), but Southern Miss is among the best in the country at keeping opponents away from the charity stripe (ranking 14th by yielding a FTA rate of 0.159). Ball security should be an advantage for the Golden Eagles. They rank 7th at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 14.2 percent), while the Owls force the 19th-fewest turnovers in the nation (opponents’ turnover percentage of 15.6 percent).
Both teams have had a player step their game up over their last five games. Edwards (0 points) has been stellar for the Golden Eagles while Williams (0 points) has contributed greatly to the Owls.
After the Golden Eagles won the sole contest against the Owls last season, 86-75, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Golden Eagles’ 11.4 turnover percentage was their largest strength over the Owls, who had a rate of 30.0.
Southern Miss Golden Eagles vs. Rice Owls Pick
College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Rice, ATS Winner – Southern Miss, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Southern Miss ranks 18th in assists per game (17.2) while Rice ranks 197th in assists allowed per game (15.9).
The Owls average 25.4 three pointers per game, which ranks 62nd in the NCAA. The Golden Eagles rank 240th in three pointers allowed per game (26.5).
Southern Miss ranks 33rd in steals per game (8.2) while Rice ranks 169th (5.2).
The Golden Eagles rank 76th in rebounds per game (38.1) while the Owls rank 181st in rebounds allowed per game (36.9).
Rice ranks 30th in blocks allowed per game (2.6) while Southern Miss ranks 76th (3.2).
Bettings Trends:
The Golden Eagles’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 11.8, up from 10.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Owls have scored an average of 79.8 points per game (4.0 above their season average) and allowed an average of 73.6 points per game (7.6 below their season average).
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