The Oklahoma State Cowboys (19-14) clash against the FGCU Eagles (23-11) in the NIT at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The game starts at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, and will air on ESPN2.
Oklahoma State is a 12.5-point favorite on the opening line, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 161 points.
FGCU Eagles at Oklahoma State Cowboys ATS Prediction
In the Eagles’ last game, they were beaten by the Lipscomb Bisons, 108-96. Getting to the free throw line was one of Lipscomb’s biggest advantages. They had 47 free throw attempts, while FGCU had just 28. Zach Johnson was the top scorer from either team with 37 points on 10-for-19 shooting.
The Cowboys fell to the No. 9 Kansas Jayhawks in their last contest, 82-68. Kansas’ effective field goal percentage was their largest advantage over Oklahoma State. The Jayhawks had a rate of 0.632 (above their season average of 0.577), while the Cowboys posted a mark of 0.447 (below their season average of 0.506). Oklahoma State’s Jeffrey Carroll put together a good performance, leading the team in scoring with 17 points on 6-for-14 shooting.
The high-powered offense of FGCU will square off against the mid-tier defense of Oklahoma State. The Eagles rank 45th in offensive efficiency, while the Cowboys are 185th in defensive efficiency. The Eagles should have the edge on that side of the ball.
FGCU holds records of 23-11 straight up (SU) and 5-3 against the spread (ATS). Of the Eagles’ 8 games that accepted bets, five have finished under the projected point total.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma State owns records of 19-14 SU and 15-15 ATS. Coinciding with FGCU, games including the Cowboys also have a tendency to go under the total (66.7 percent).
Jeffrey Carroll has averaged 15.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.2 steals over the last five games for Oklahoma State.
FGCU Eagles at Oklahoma State Cowboys Free Pick
College Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Oklahoma State, ATS Winner – Oklahoma State, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Oklahoma State ranks 67th in three pointers allowed per game (20.1) while FGCU ranks 233rd (23.4).
The Eagles rank 48th in rebounds allowed per game (32.4) while the Cowboys rank 168th (35.2).
Oklahoma State averages 6.6 steals per game, which ranks 97th in the NCAA. FGCU ranks 195th in steals allowed per game (7.0).
The Eagles rank 58th in assists per game (15.4) while the Cowboys rank 128th in assists allowed per game (13.2).
Bettings Trends:
The Eagles’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 8.8, down from 10.1 for the season.
During their last five games, the Cowboys have scored an average of 73.0 points per game (3.4 below their season average) and allowed an average of 68.4 points per game (4.7 below their season average).
xxxxx
