MEAC foes will battle when the Morgan State Bears (10-15, 6-6 MEAC) take on the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (15-12, 9-3 MEAC) at Hill Field House. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m. ET on Monday, February 19, 2018.
Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at Morgan State Bears Free Preview
The Wildcats were victorious over the Coppin State Eagles in their last outing, 89-85. Brandon Tabb was the top scorer from either team with 34 points on 8-for-20 shooting. One of Bethune-Cookman’s largest advantages was getting to the free throw line. They had 46 free throw attempts, while Coppin State had just 20.
The last time the Bears played, they blew out the Florida A&M Rattlers, 74-48. Morgan State’s David Syfax was a key piece with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Morgan State played a nearly flawless game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 35.7 (below their season average of 36.0) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.526 (above their season average of 0.445). Florida A&M was 11.4 and 0.367, respectively, for those same stats.
The aggressive Morgan State offense looks poised to dominate from the foul line. The Bears currently rank 55th in the nation with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.280, while Bethune-Cookman ranks 263rd in FTA rate allowed (0.262). Furthermore, the Wildcats, who rank 35th in offensive rebounding percentage (34.3 percent), will face off against the Bears, who rank 261st in defensive rebounding percentage (69.4 percent).
Shawntrez Davis has really been playing well recently for Bethune-Cookman, averaging 21.0 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks over the last five games.
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams, after the Bears won the only contest last season, 69-63. The Bears dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a free throw rate of 0.121 and an extraordinary offensive rebounding percentage of 42.5. The Wildcats had marks of 0.043 and 22.9, respectively, for those same stats.
Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at Morgan State Bears Prediction
Pick: SU Winner – Morgan State, ATS Winner – Morgan State, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Wildcats average 3.7 blocks per game, which ranks 88th in the nation. The Bears rank 164th in blocks allowed per game (4.0).
- Morgan State ranks 57th in steals per game (7.2) while Bethune-Cookman ranks 120th in steals allowed per game (6.4).
- Bethune-Cookman ranks 75th in three pointers attempted per game (24.1) while Morgan State ranks 306th (14.9).
- The Bears rank 28th in rebounds per game (39.1) while the Wildcats rank 255th in rebounds allowed per game (38.0).
- Bethune-Cookman ranks 61st in assists per game (15.3) while Morgan State ranks 235th (12.0).
Betting Trends:
- The Bears have outscored opponents by an average of 6.6 points in their last five games. On the season, Morgan State has been defeated by an average of 2.6 points.
- During their last five games, the Wildcats have scored an average of 86.8 points per game (6.8 above their season average) and allowed an average of 75.2 points per game (3.1 below their season average).
