The East Carolina Pirates (8-6, 1-1 AAC) will be at FedExForum to meet the Memphis Tigers (9-6, 1-1 AAC) in an AAC matchup. Action begins at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 10, 2019, and can be seen on ESPNU.
East Carolina Pirates at Memphis Tigers ATS Odds
Both teams were triumphant in their last game. The Tigers defeated the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles 76-61, while the Pirates won big over the Delaware State Hornets 81-56.
East Carolina dominated every facet of the game. They had a free throw rate of 0.344 and an offensive rebounding percentage of 35.9. For those same stats, Delaware State had marks of 0.158 and 20.5, respectively. The Tigers, meanwhile, had a much better turnover percentage (15.1 vs. 28.6) and had a better effective field goal percentage (0.459 vs. 0.404). Kyvon Davenport put together a solid game for Memphis with 30 points and 10 rebounds. East Carolina, meanwhile, received a boost from Isaac Fleming, who contributed 12 points.
This was a highly competitive series last year, as the teams split their two games last season. In the most recent matchup, the Tigers won 90-70. Memphis out-rebounded East Carolina. The Tigers had 14 offensive rebounds and 43 total rebounds, while the Pirates had three and 24, respectively. This will be the first game of the year between these two teams.
Jeremiah Martin has taken his game to another level recently for Memphis, averaging 0 points over the last five games.
The aggressive Memphis offense looks poised to dominate from the foul line. The Tigers rank 34th in the nation with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.293, while East Carolina is among the NCAA’s most foul-prone squads (giving up a 289th-ranked FTA rate of 0.269). Also, the Pirates rank 318th in turnover percentage (22.2 percent), while the Tigers rank 39th in opponents’ turnover percentage (23.1 percent).
East Carolina Pirates at Memphis Tigers Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Memphis, ATS Winner – East Carolina, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- East Carolina ranks 32nd in assists allowed per game (10.7) while Memphis ranks 197th (15.0).
- The Pirates average 4.1 blocks per game, which ranks 60th in the NCAA. The Tigers rank 150th in blocks allowed per game (4.5).
- Memphis ranks 91st in rebounds per game (37.7) while East Carolina ranks 107th in rebounds allowed per game (34.4).
- The Tigers rank 18th in steals per game (8.9) while the Pirates rank 154th in steals allowed per game (7.7).
- Memphis ranks 166th in three pointers attempted per game (21.5) while East Carolina ranks 263rd (17.2).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Pirates have scored an average of 72.0 points per game (2.0 above their season average) and allowed an average of 70.0 points per game (1.6 above their season average).
- The Tigers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 0.2, down from 6.7 for the season.
