The Chattanooga Mocs (17-3), the Southern’s top shooting team, will be in action against the Samford Bulldogs (11-10) at Pete Hanna Center. Action gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Saturday, Jan. 30 and will air on ES3.
The Bulldogs are hoping to rebound after their 86-78 loss to UNC Greensboro in their last matchup. Jamal Shabazz had a good game for Samford, finishing with 15 points, six rebounds, and four assists. The Mocs, meanwhile, are coming off a 73-60 win against that same UNC Greensboro squad in their last outing. Eric Robertson was the game’s top scorer, registering 22 points on 7-for-11 shooting.
Over the last five games, Justin Tuoyo has been on fire for the Mocs. During that stretch, he has averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 2.8 blocks.
When considering eFG%, the Mocs figure to have a substantial advantage on the offensive end. They rank 24th in the nation in that category at 55.0%, whereas the porous defense of Samford ranks 267th in eFG% defense with opponents connecting at a clip of 51.1%.
Samford, a four-point underdog, will look to capitalize at home against Chattanooga. The Bulldogs look to build on their records of 11-10 Straight Up (SU) and 9-8 Against The Spread (ATS).
As for their opponent, the Mocs head into the game with records of 9-6 ATS and 17-3 SU. Chattanooga performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 5-2 record. The Mocs are shooting lights out so far, with a .475 field-goal percentage that ranks 41st in Division I. The Mocs are an unselfish team with an average of 16.0 assists per game, ranking 46th in Division I. Moving on to the Chattanooga defense, teams with weak ball handling have not fared well against the Mocs, who rank 26th in the nation with 8.2 steals per game.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time Samford and Chattanooga played, Chattanooga won, bringing its SU record in their most recent games to 8-2. With a 6-3-1 record, the Mocs also have the advantage ATS. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Chattanooga held the edge in all three of these categories once in the last five meetings. Samford never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Chat, ATS Winner – Chat
Notes
Samford is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Samford’s last 5 games.
Samford is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Samford’s last 9 games when playing Chattanooga.
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Samford’s last 5 games when playing at home against Chattanooga.
Chattanooga holds a 6-1 SU record against the Southern Conference this season, while Samford has an underachieving 2-6 SU record against the conference.
Ranked 51st, the Chattanooga Mocs have an offensive rating of 112.8. The Samford Bulldogs rank 173rd with a defensive rating of just 102.6.
Samford has an average field goal percentage of 44.6%. Chattanooga is an outstanding 7-2 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Samford Bulldogs rank higher based on their field goal percentage (141st) than their effective field goal percentage (191st). The Chattanooga Mocs rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (24th) than their field goal percentage (41st).
Chattanooga ranks 46th in assists, recording 16.0 per game. Samford performs worse at 159th with 13.8 assists per game.
Chattanooga, the 50th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 4.8 per game. Samford does worse, ranked 161st with 3.5.
On average, Samford forces a turnover rate of 22.4%. When Chattanooga turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 3-1 record.
