The East Tennessee State Buccaneers (23-7, 14-3 SoCon) and Furman Paladins (21-9, 12-5 SoCon) will clash at Freedom Hall Civic Center to close out the regular season. The games Over/Under (O/U) opened at 143.5 points with East Tennessee State set as a 3-point favorite. Action begins at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 25, 2018.
Furman Paladins vs. East Tennessee State Buccaneers Free Preview
In the Paladins last matchup, they won big over the Western Carolina Catamounts, 78-55. Andrew Brown was the top scorer from either team with 22 points on 8-for-11 shooting. Furman launched 27 three pointers, making 11 of them (40.7 percent), while Western Carolina was 5-19 (26.3 percent).
The Buccaneers are trying to rebound after their 75-71 loss to the Wofford Terriers in their last game. Desonta Bradford was the games leading scorer with 19 points on 4-for-5 shooting. Wofford held the Buccaneers to an offensive rebounding percentage of 11.5 (below their season average of 32.6). East Tennessee State, on the other hand, did a fantastic job of getting to and converting from the charity stripe (22-27; 81.5 percent).
Points could be at a premium in this meeting between two of the nations premier defenses. East Tennessee State currently ranks 18th in defensive efficiency (95.4) and Furman is 31st (97.4). Also, the Paladins commit the 42nd-fewest errors in the nation (turnover percentage of 16.5 percent), while the gambling defense of the Buccaneers causes the 49th-most (opponents turnover percentage of 21.4 percent).
Of Furman’s 24 games with betting action, 13 have finished under the O/U total, while 16 of East Tennessee State’s 26 games have finished under the projected point total. Both teams have solid straight up (SU) records (21-9 for Furman; 23-7 for East Tennessee State), but the Buccaneers hold a slight edge against the spread (ATS). East Tennessee State is 16-8-2 ATS, while the Paladins are 15-8-1.
These teams have already met once this season. In that game, the two teams combined for 123 points, well under the projected point total of 146. The Buccaneers won 62-61, covering as 2-point underdogs. East Tennessee State’s effective field goal percentage was its biggest advantage over Furman. The Buccaneers had a rate of 0.474 while the Paladins posted a mark of 0.427. Matt Rafferty was the top overall scorer in the game with 13 points.
Furman Paladins vs. East Tennessee State Buccaneers Free Prediction
Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Furman, ATS Winner – Furman, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Paladins rank 44th in blocks allowed per game (2.7) while the Buccaneers rank 96th (3.2).
- Furman ranks 27th in assists per game (16.4) while East Tennessee State ranks 71st (15.2).
- Furman is 8-5 ATS on the road with 8 overs and 5 unders.
- East Tennessee State is 7-4-1 ATS at home with 7 overs and 5 unders.
- Furman averages 29.4 three pointers per game, which ranks eighth in the NCAA. East Tennessee State ranks 189th in three pointers allowed per game (22.9).
- The Paladins average 8.0 steals per game, which ranks 20th in the NCAA. The Buccaneers rank 108th in steals allowed per game (6.1).
- East Tennessee State averages 37.6 rebounds per game, which ranks 70th in the NCAA. Furman ranks 154th in rebounds allowed per game (35.0).
Betting Trends:
- East Tennessee State is 1-4 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Furman is 5-0 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
- The Buccaneers average margin of victory in their last five games has been 0.2, down from 10.1 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Paladins have scored an average of 79.8 points per game (0.1 above their season average) and allowed an average of 59.2 points per game (9.1 below their season average).
