It will be a meeting between two phenomenal offenses when the Sam Houston State Bearkats (13-6, 6-2 SthLnd) square off against the Abilene Christian Wildcats (10-7, 5-1 SthLnd) at Johnson Coliseum. Action begins at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 22, 2020.
Abilene Christian Wildcats at Sam Houston State Bearkats Betting Odds
Both teams had no trouble getting past their last opponent. The Bearkats defeated the Houston Baptist Huskies 95-75, while the Wildcats beat the Southeastern Louisiana Lions 76-55.
Abilene Christian dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had a turnover percentage of 19.3 (worse than their season average of 16.0) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.569 (above their season average of 0.496). Southeastern Louisiana recorded marks of 29.5 and 0.408, respectively, for those same stats. Meanwhile, Sam Houston State’s 15.2 turnover percentage was their biggest strength over Houston Baptist, who had a mark of 21.4. The Bearkats’ mark was better than their season average of 16.7, while the Huskies’ was above their season average of 18.0. Zach Nutall had a good game for Sam Houston State with 23 points and seven rebounds. Meanwhile, Abilene Christian rallied around Joe Pleasant, who finished with 12 points and seven rebounds.
The Bearkats dominated this series last year, winning both games. In the most recent game, Sam Houston State won 90-85. Sam Houston State was effective at getting to and converting from the charity stripe. The Bearkats made 22 of their 25 free throws (88.0 percent), while the Wildcats were just 14-20 (70.0 percent). This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams.
This battle figures to be low-scoring as a pair of the NCAA’s premier defenses clash. Sam Houston State currently ranks 60th in defensive efficiency (92.8) and Abilene Christian is 18th (88.2). Furthermore, the Wildcats, who rank 47th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.268), will face off against the Bearkats, who rank 323rd in opponents’ FTA rate (0.292).
Abilene Christian Wildcats vs. Sam Houston State Bearkats Betting Pick
College Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Sam Houston State, ATS Winner – Sam Houston State, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Abilene Christian ranks 14th in three pointers allowed per game (16.8) while Sam Houston State ranks 231st (24.7).
- The Wildcats rank ninth in steals per game (9.8) while the Bearkats rank 153rd in steals allowed per game (7.2).
- Abilene Christian ranks ninth in assists allowed per game (9.3) while Sam Houston State ranks 129th (12.6).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Bearkats have scored an average of 76.4 points per game (4.5 below their season average) and allowed an average of 74.2 points per game (3.0 above their season average).
- The Wildcats’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 4.6, down from 13.6 for the season.
