It will be a battle between Summit opponents when the Western Illinois Leathernecks (6-12, 1-4 Summit) welcome the Omaha Mavericks (9-8, 3-1 Summit) to Western Hall. The game is scheduled to get underway at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 17, 2019.
Omaha Mavericks at Western Illinois Leathernecks ATS Prediction
In the Mavericks’ last outing, they defeated the North Dakota Fighting Hawks, 92-91. Omaha’s rebounding was their largest strength. The Mavericks had 15 offensive rebounds and 42 total rebounds, while the Fighting Hawks had nine and 31, respectively. Omaha was led by Matt Pile, who led the team in scoring with 20 points on 8-for-14 shooting.
The Leathernecks lost to the North Dakota Fighting Hawks in their last matchup, 71-65. North Dakota’s free throw rate was their largest strength over Western Illinois. The Fighting Hawks had a rate of 0.180 (below their season average of 0.213), while the Leathernecks posted a mark of 0.105 (below their season average of 0.195). Western Illinois’ Brandon Gilbeck recorded 14 points and eight rebounds in the game.
After the Mavericks won both meetings against the Leathernecks last season, these teams will go head-to-head for the first time this year. In the most recent contest, Omaha won 71-68. The Mavericks had a much better free throw rate (0.179 vs. 0.057) and had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (33.3 vs. 14.3).
Omaha may struggle to create turnovers. Western Illinois ranks 61st in the country at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 17.1 percent), while Omaha forces the 194th-most turnovers (19.3 percent). Furthermore, the Mavericks rank 311th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.183), while the Leathernecks rank 34th in opponents’ FTA rate (0.180).
Omaha Mavericks vs. Western Illinois Leathernecks Free Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Omaha, ATS Winner – Western Illinois, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Western Illinois ranks 31st in blocks per game (4.7) while Omaha ranks 180th (1.8).
The Leathernecks rank 140th in rebounds per game (35.8) while the Mavericks rank 262nd (30.2).
Omaha ranks 43rd in steals allowed per game (5.4) while Western Illinois ranks 90th (6.1).
The Leathernecks average 20.9 three pointers per game, which ranks 186th in the country. The Mavericks rank 224th in three pointers allowed per game (25.2).
Bettings Trends:
The Mavericks’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 7.0, up from 0.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Leathernecks have scored an average of 66.6 points per game (5.2 below their season average) and allowed an average of 79.6 points per game (6.9 above their season average).
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