The Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens (5-14) will try to put an end to their 11-game skid when they meet the William & Mary Tribe (13-6) at Bob Carpenter Center Acierno Arena. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, Jan. 28.
The Fightin’ Blue Hens are hoping to rebound after their 59-58 loss to Charleston in their last matchup. Despite the loss, Marvin King-Davis earned his 10th double-double this season with 17 points and 14 rebounds. The Tribe, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their ugly 91-63 loss against Hofstra in their last game. Terry Tarpey had a good game for William & Mary, registering 15 points, eight rebounds, and one steal.
King-Davis has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Fightin’ Blue Hens. During that stretch, he has averaged 19.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 0.6 assists, and 0.8 blocks.
When examining eFG%, the Tribe appear to have a noticeable advantage on the offensive side. They’re ranked 19th in the nation in that category at 55.4%, while the suspect defense of Delaware ranks only 286th in eFG% defense as opponents are hitting 51.7%.
William & Mary takes on Delaware as an eight-point favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at 146 points. The Fightin’ Blue Hens have gone 4-15 Straight Up (SU) and 6-10-1 Against The Spread (ATS).
Over on the other bench, the Tribe have 13-6 SU and 9-4 ATS records. The Tribe convert their shots at a high percentage, ranking 23rd in the country at .485. The Tribe are an unselfish team with an average of 16.2 assists per game, ranking 40th in Division I. Moving on to the William & Mary defense, the Tribe have one of the best opponent three-point field goal percentages in the country at .300. Blocking shots is an area where William & Mary has excelled. The Tribe average 5.2 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the nation. Taking care of the basketball is something the Tribe do very well, averaging just 11.5 turnovers per game.
These conference foes will be squaring off for the first time this season. In their most recent meeting a season ago, Delaware came out on top, bumping its SU record to 9-1 over William & Mary in their most recent meetings. The Fightin’ Blue Hens also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3. During their latest five matchups, neither team ever held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers.
Predictions: SU Winner – W&M, ATS Winner – W&M, O/U – Over
Notes
Delaware is 4-8-1 ATS in its last 13 games.
Delaware is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games.
Delaware is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Delaware’s last 6 games at home.
Delaware is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing William & Mary.
Delaware is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against William & Mary.
William & Mary holds a winning 5-3 SU record against the Colonial Athletic Conference, while Delaware has yet to win a game against teams in the conference (0-8).
Ranked 63rd, the William & Mary Tribe have an offensive rating of 111.9. The Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens rank 321st with a defensive rating of just 110.8.
The William & Mary Tribe have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking 23rd in the nation with a FG% of 48.5%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens are winless with a 0-3 record.
The Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens rank higher based on their field goal percentage (327th) than their effective field goal percentage (335th). The William & Mary Tribe rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (19th) than their field goal percentage (23rd).
William & Mary ranks 40th in assists, recording 16.2 per game. Delaware performs worse at 317th with 11.1 assists per game.
William & Mary, the 33rd-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.2 per game. Delaware does worse, ranked 241st with 2.8.
Delaware ranks 112th in offensive rebounds, while William & Mary ranks 19th in defensive rebounds.
The Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens make an average of 3.9 steals per game. When the William & Mary Tribe allow 3 or more steals, they are a winning 12-6.
