The Jacksonville State Gamecocks (22-12) go head-to-head against the Central Arkansas Bears (18-16) in the College Basketball Invitational at Farris Center. The game starts at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, March 19, 2018.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 148 points with Jacksonville State opening as a 1-point favorite.
Jacksonville State Gamecocks at Central Arkansas Bears ATS Prediction
The Gamecocks come in on a high note after barely hanging on to beat the Canisius Golden Griffins in their last contest, 80-78. Jacksonville State’s rebounding was their largest advantage. The Gamecocks had 20 offensive rebounds and 53 total rebounds, while the Golden Griffins had nine and 28, respectively. With 20 points on 7-for-19 shooting, Malcolm Drumwright led Jacksonville State in scoring.
The last time the Bears played, they won a close one over the Seattle Redhawks, 92-90. The Bears forced 15 turnovers, while the Redhawks had a free throw rate of 0.167 (below their season average of 0.264). Jordan Howard was the game’s leading scorer with 30 points on 11-for-23 shooting.
This game should be a matchup of conflicting tempos. Central Arkansas has preferred a fast-breaking style of play (11th in possessions per game), while Jacksonville State has been slower-paced (269th in possessions per game). Also, the Gamecocks could control the offensive glass in this contest as they rank 39th in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage at 33.7 percent. The Bears, meanwhile, rank 327th in defensive rebounding percentage (67.1 percent).
Jacksonville State comes into the game with records of 22-12 straight up (SU) and 16-12 against the spread (ATS). Gamecocks games have a slight tendency to go over the projected point total (50.0 percent).
Meanwhile, Central Arkansas owns records of 18-16 SU and 4-1 ATS. Bears games tend to go over the projected point total (60.0 percent).
Jacksonville State Gamecocks at Central Arkansas Bears ATS Pick
Free College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Jacksonville State, ATS Winner – Jacksonville State, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Jacksonville State ranks 39th in rebounds per game (38.5) while Central Arkansas ranks 305th in rebounds allowed per game (39.8).
The Gamecocks rank 34th in assists allowed per game (11.3) while the Bears rank 215th (14.3).
Central Arkansas ranks 111th in three pointers attempted per game (23.0) while Jacksonville State ranks 288th (17.8).
The Gamecocks rank 23rd in blocks per game (5.0) while the Bears rank 94th in blocks allowed per game (3.1).
Central Arkansas ranks 90th in steals per game (6.7) while Jacksonville State ranks 156th in steals allowed per game (6.4).
Bettings Trends:
The Gamecocks’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 3.6, down from 6.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Bears have scored an average of 74.4 points per game (6.8 below their season average) and allowed an average of 72.2 points per game (6.8 below their season average).
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