The CSUN Matadors (6-23, 3-12 BigWst) bring the regular season to a close at Matadome as they host the Cal State Fullerton Titans (16-10, 9-5 BigWst). The game can be seen on ESPN 3 at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday, February 28, 2018.
Cal State Fullerton is a 7-point favorite on the opening line, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 141 points.
Cal State Fullerton Titans vs. CSUN Matadors ATS Prediction
The Titans come in on a high note after topping the Long Beach State 49ers in their last matchup, 81-71. Cal State Fullerton’s 0.579 effective field goal percentage was their biggest advantage over Long Beach State, who had a mark of 0.458. The Titans’ mark was above their season average of 0.519. Khalil Ahmad had a solid performance for Cal State Fullerton, finishing with 15 points, seven assists and five rebounds.
In the Matadors’ last game, they lost to the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, 82-73. UC Santa Barbara’s 0.170 free throw rate was their biggest strength over CSUN, who had a mark of 0.097. The Gauchos’ mark was below their season average of 0.229, while the Matadors’ was below their season average of 0.203. With 22 points on 9-for-16 shooting, Tavrion Dawson was CSUN’s leading scorer.
From an effective field goal percentage perspective, Cal State Fullerton should have a considerable edge. The Titans defense ranks 54th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.479), while the CSUN offense is ranked 289th in effective field goal percentage (0.487).
Cal State Fullerton comes into the contest with records of 16-10 straight up (SU) and 14-8 against the spread (ATS). Of the Titans’ 22 games that accepted bets, 16 have finished under the total.
Meanwhile, CSUN is 6-23 SU and 10-15-1 ATS. Matadors games also have typically finished under the total (61.5 percent).
Dawson has averaged 20.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.2 blocks over the last five games for CSUN.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. Jackson Rowe had 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists in the first matchup, in which the Titans defeated the Matadors 88-70, covering as 12-point favorites. The game finished with a total of 158 points, which was 21 points above the projected point total of 137 points. The Titans had a much better turnover percentage (10.1 vs. 23.9) and had a much better free throw rate (0.350 vs. 0.157).
Cal State Fullerton Titans vs. CSUN Matadors ATS Pick
College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Cal State Fullerton, ATS Winner – Cal State Fullerton, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Cal State Fullerton is 8-5 ATS on the road with 9 unders and 4 overs.
CSUN is 3-6 ATS at home with 8 unders and 1 over.
Cal State Fullerton ranks 174th in rebounds per game (34.8) while CSUN ranks 274th (31.7).
The Matadors rank 21st in three pointers allowed per game (18.4) while the Titans rank 65th (20.0).
Cal State Fullerton ranks 114th in blocks per game (3.3) while CSUN ranks 146th in blocks allowed per game (3.7).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Cal State Fullerton is 4-1 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
CSUN is 2-3 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under over their last five games.
The Titans’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 8.4, up from 2.3 for the season.
During their last five games, the Matadors have scored an average of 73.6 points per game (7.8 above their season average) and allowed an average of 80.0 points per game (7.4 above their season average).
