A five-game road winning streak hangs in the balance for the East Tennessee State Buccaneers (17-5, 7-2 SoCon) when they meet the Samford Bulldogs (13-9, 3-6 SoCon) at Pete Hanna Center. Action begins at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 31, 2019.
East Tennessee State Buccaneers vs. Samford Bulldogs Betting Odds
Both teams were triumphant in their last game. The Bulldogs barely escaped the Furman Paladins 75-73, while the Buccaneers had no trouble getting past the Western Carolina Catamounts 91-69.
East Tennessee State played a nearly flawless game. They had a turnover percentage of 12.3 (better than their season average of 18.1) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 36.4 (below their season average of 40.4). Western Carolina was 27.0 and 28.6, respectively, for those same stats. Meanwhile, Samford played a nearly perfect game. They had a free throw rate of 0.224 (matching their season average) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.534 (below their season average of 0.548). For those same stats, Furman had marks of 0.175 and 0.492, respectively. Josh Sharkey played well for Samford with 21 points and 12 assists. Mladen Armus, meanwhile had a good game for East Tennessee State, finishing with 21 points and 12 rebounds.
In their first matchup this season, Jeromy Rodriguez led the Buccaneers to an 81-72 victory. He notched a double-double with 12 points and 19 rebounds. East Tennessee State won the rebounding battle. The Buccaneers had 18 offensive rebounds and 48 total rebounds, while the Bulldogs had seven and 31, respectively.
This has potential to be an error-filled game for the offense of Samford. Samford ranks 234th in the country in ball protection (turnover percentage of 19.6 percent), while the gambling defense of East Tennessee State forces the 97th-most turnovers in the NCAA (20.9 percent). Also, the Buccaneers could control the offensive glass in this meeting as they rank second in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage at 40.2 percent. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, rank 296th at grabbing defensive rebounds with a defensive rebounding percentage of 68.7 percent.
East Tennessee State Buccaneers vs. Samford Bulldogs Betting Pick
Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Samford, ATS Winner – Samford, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- East Tennessee State ranks third in rebounds allowed per game (28.9) while Samford ranks 184th (35.9).
- The Buccaneers rank 45th in steals per game (7.7) while the Bulldogs rank 125th in steals allowed per game (6.6).
- Samford ranks 50th in blocks allowed per game (2.8) while East Tennessee State ranks 122nd (3.6).
- The Buccaneers average 16.0 assists per game, which ranks 32nd in the country. The Bulldogs rank 180th in assists allowed per game (14.1).
- East Tennessee State averages 23.2 three pointers per game, which ranks 125th in the nation. Samford ranks 258th in three pointers allowed per game (26.1).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Bulldogs have scored an average of 84.6 points per game (9.2 above their season average) and allowed an average of 86.0 points per game (15.2 above their season average).
- The Buccaneers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 9.4, down from 13.8 for the season.
