The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles will be at McBrayer Arena to play the Eastern Kentucky Colonels in an Ohio Valley matchup. The game starts at 2:00 pm ET on Saturday, Jan. 23.
The Colonels come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, barely hanging on to beat Jacksonville State 91-88 on Thursday. Javontae Hawkins played a pivotal role, recording his first double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds. The Golden Eagles are coming off an 81-74 loss against Morehead State on Thursday. Tennessee Tech lost despite the best efforts of Ryan Martin, who recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 20 points and 13 rebounds.
Over the last five games, Nick Mayo has really been playing well for the Colonels. During that stretch, he has averaged 18.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.0 block.
When considering eFG%, the Golden Eagles figure to have a substantial advantage on the offensive end. They rank 32nd in the nation in that category at 54.6%, whereas the porous defense of Eastern Kentucky ranks 341st in eFG% defense with opponents connecting at a clip of 54.9%.
Eastern Kentucky is a slim one-point favorite at home against Tennessee Tech. The matchup has an estimated Over/Under (O/U) of 171 points. The Colonels are looking to build on their records of 12-9 Straight Up (SU) and 8-7-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Colonels have one of the most prolific offenses in the entire nation, averaging 82.2 points per game. The Colonels are an impressive three-point shooting team with 8.0 made per game, one of the highest marks in Division I. Spreading the ball around is a huge part of Eastern Kentucky’s offense. They are 33rd in the nation in assists with an average of 16.6 per game.
In the other locker room, the Golden Eagles have records of 7-5-1 ATS and 13-7 SU. Tennessee Tech performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record. The Golden Eagles rank 49th in the country in scoring, averaging 79.7 points per game. The Golden Eagles rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking 38th in the nation with 172 made (8.0 per game). The Golden Eagles are in for a physical game against Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels are not afraid to send opponents to the free throw line, averaging 21.6 fouls per game.
This game marks the season’s first head-to-head clash between these conference foes. Their previous game was a Colonels victory, but the win was not enough for them to overtake Tennessee Tech in their recent head-to-head series. Their record is now 4-6 SU over the last few meetings. Additionally, Tennessee Tech holds the advantage ATS with a record of 8-2. During their latest five matchups, neither team ever held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers.
Predictions: SU Winner – TnTech, ATS Winner – TnTech, O/U – Over
Notes
Eastern Kentucky is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Eastern Kentucky’s last 8 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Eastern Kentucky’s last 5 games at home.
Eastern Kentucky is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing Tennessee Tech.
Eastern Kentucky is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Tennessee Tech.
Tennessee Tech has a winning 5-2 record against teams in its conference, while Eastern Kentucky is even against its rivals at 3-3.
Tennessee Tech averages 79.7 points per game (ranked 49th). Eastern Kentucky, on the other hand, allows 80.4 points per game (ranked 331st).
Ranked 63rd, the Eastern Kentucky Colonels have an offensive rating of 112.1. The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles rank 240th with a defensive rating of just 105.4.
Eastern Kentucky averages 73.4 possessions per game, scoring 1.121 points on each possession. While Tennessee Tech averages fewer possessions per game with 70.1, they score more points per possession with 1.138.
The Eastern Kentucky Colonels have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking 11th in the country with an eFG% of 56.8%. When their opponents record a similar or higher eFG%, the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles have a losing 1-3 record.
Eastern Kentucky ranks 33rd in assists, recording 16.6 per game. Tennessee Tech ranks 89th with 15.1 assists per game.
The Eastern Kentucky Colonels make an average of 7.0 steals per game. The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles are 5-4 when they allow 7 or more steals.
