The Cleveland State Vikings (8-18) face the Valparaiso Crusaders (21-5) at the Quicken Loans Arena. Action gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Feb. 16 and can be seen on ES3.
The Vikings were victorious over Youngstown State 64-59 on Saturday. Demonte Flannigan led all scorers on the team with 30 points on 10-for-13 shooting. The Crusaders, meanwhile, are coming off a tough 61-59 loss against Wright State on Saturday. Keith Carter had a good game for Valparaiso, registering 10 points, six assists, and three steals.
Over the last five games, Flannigan has been playing at a high level for the Vikings. During that stretch, he has averaged 19.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 1.2 blocks, and 0.6 three-pointers.
The Vikings might struggle to find the bottom of the net as they face off against one of the nation’s best defenses. The Crusaders rank first in defensive efficiency, while Cleveland State ranks 327th in offensive efficiency. Furthermore, the defense of the Crusaders should have an advantage in terms of eFG%. They’re fourth in the nation in forcing misses (opponents’ eFG% of 42.7%), while the offense of the Vikings ranks 311th in eFG% (46.3%).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Crusaders won the first game 77-52. Alec Peters had a stellar game with 18 points, six rebounds, one assist, one steal, and four three-pointers.
The Vikings enter the game with records of 8-18 Straight Up (SU) and 10-14-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Vikings have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 75.2 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 62.4 points per game. Cleveland State’s defense has put it all together in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game dropped to 59.8 during that span, compared to its 67.7 season average.
As for their opponent, the Crusaders have records of 13-11 ATS and 21-5 SU. Offensively, the Crusaders have really sputtered in the last 10 games. Their season average has fallen to 74.7 points per game after averaging only 61.6 during that stretch. The Crusaders are a force on the boards, grabbing an average of 41.8 rebounds per game. The Crusaders are one of the top defensive teams in the nation, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 59.5 points allowed per game. Valparaiso’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .374 from the field.
The Crusaders’ win over Cleveland State in their last clash brought their SU record in their most recent games to 8-2. The Crusaders also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 7-3. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Valparaiso held the edge in all three of these categories twice in the last five meetings. Cleveland State did so once.
Predictions: SU Winner – Valpo, ATS Winner – Valpo
Notes
Cleveland State scores an average of just 62.4 points per game (ranked 248th). Valparaiso ranks second in points allowed, giving up 59.5 points per game.
Cleveland State scores just 62.5 points per home game (ranked 252nd). Valparaiso ranks 13th in points allowed on the road, giving up 64.2 points.
In its last game, Valparaiso lost by a margin of two points. Cleveland State is 1-2 in games decided by a margin of three points or less. Valparaiso also has a 1-2 record in close games.
Ranked 79th, the Valparaiso Crusaders have an offensive rating of 110.4. The Cleveland State Vikings rank 179th with a defensive rating of just 103.6.
Cleveland State has an average field goal percentage of 41.5%. Valparaiso is a losing 2-5 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Cleveland State Vikings rank higher based on their field goal percentage (291st) than their effective field goal percentage (311th). The Valparaiso Crusaders rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (133rd) than their field goal percentage (160th).
Valparaiso, the 91st-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.2 per game. Cleveland State does worse, ranked 273rd with 2.6.
Cleveland State ranks 199th in offensive rebounds, while Valparaiso ranks ninth in defensive rebounds.
The Cleveland State Vikings make an average of 6.5 steals per game. When the Valparaiso Crusaders allow 6 or more steals, they are a tremendous 9-1.
