It will be a battle between Conference USA opponents when the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (14-15) welcome the Southern Miss Golden Eagles (8-19) to E.A. Diddle Arena. The game starts at 9:00 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 3.
The Hilltoppers fell to UAB 71-67 in their last game. Justin Johnson finished with 19 points to lead the game. The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, are coming off an 81-70 win over North Texas in their last game. Kourtlin Jackson led the game in scoring with 27 points on 6-for-13 shooting.
The Hilltoppers come into this game 14-15 Straight Up (SU) and 12-13 Against The Spread (ATS). They have an ATS record of 7-3 in their last 10 games, but are just 3-7 SU. The Hilltoppers have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 68.8 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 75.9 points per game.
In the other locker room, the Golden Eagles fare well ATS, sitting at 15-9. However, they are only 8-19 SU. Offensively, the Golden Eagles have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 63.0 points per game by averaging 72.9 during that stretch. Moving on to the Southern Miss defense, the Golden Eagles allow just 67.4 points per road game, ranking them 29th in the nation.
This game marks the season’s first head-to-head clash between the conference rivals. Their previous game was a Hilltoppers victory, moving their SU record against Southern Miss to 4-1. With a 4-1 record, the Hilltoppers also have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – WestKy, ATS Winner – WestKy
Notes
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers average 75.9 points per game, ranking 98th in the nation. The Southern Miss Golden Eagles rank 92nd in points allowed with 69.0.
Ranked 97th, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers have an offensive rating of 109.2. The Southern Miss Golden Eagles rank 186th with a defensive rating of just 106.2.
Southern Miss has an average field goal percentage of 40.3%. Western Kentucky is a poor 7-14 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers rank higher based on their field goal percentage (86th) than their effective field goal percentage (118th). The Southern Miss Golden Eagles rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (246th) than their field goal percentage (324th).
Western Kentucky, the 85th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.2 per game. Southern Miss does worse, ranked 319th with 2.1.
Western Kentucky ranks 72nd in offensive rebounding. Southern Miss ranks 297th in defensive rebounding.
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers average 4.6 steals per game. When giving up 4 or more steals, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles have a poor record (7-16) this season.
