AAC foes will collide when the South Florida Bulls (7-8, 0-2 AAC) square off with the East Carolina Pirates (6-7, 0-2 AAC) at USF Sun Dome. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 130 points with South Florida set as a 6-point favorite. Action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 3, 2018, and it can be seen on ESPN 3.
East Carolina Pirates at South Florida Bulls Odds Preview
The Pirates were blown out by the UCF Knights in their last matchup, 59-39. With 13 points on 5-for-14 shooting, B.J. Tyson led East Carolina in scoring. UCF’s 18.6 turnover percentage was their biggest advantage over East Carolina, who had a mark of 28.5. The Knights mark was better than their season average of 20.0, while the Pirates was above their season average of 18.3.
In the Bulls last game, they were blown out by the SMU Mustangs, 79-39. Isaiah Manderson was South Florida’s leading scorer with 14 points on 5-for-12 shooting. SMU’s rebounding was their biggest advantage. The Mustangs had more offensive rebounds (14 vs. nine), defensive rebounds (30 vs. 19) and total rebounds (44 vs. 28).
South Florida appears to have the edge on the defensive side of the ball. The Bulls rank 89th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.476), while East Carolina is 328th in effective field goal percentage (0.460).
Games involving these teams have a tendency to go under the O/U total. East Carolina games have finished under 66.7 percent of the time, while South Florida games have finished under 63.6 percent of the time. Both teams have mediocre straight up (SU) records (6-7 for East Carolina; 7-8 for South Florida), but the Bulls have the edge against the spread (ATS). South Florida is 3-7-1 ATS, while the Pirates are 1-5.
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams, after splitting two games last season. The Bulls won the most recent game 64-57. The Bulls played a nearly flawless game. They had a turnover percentage of 12.6 and a free throw rate of 0.241. The Pirates put up marks of 19.5 and 0.189, respectively, for those same stats.
East Carolina Pirates vs. South Florida Bulls Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – East Carolina, ATS Winner – East Carolina, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Pirates rank 242nd in three pointers attempted per game (18.0) while the Bulls rank 249th (17.5).
- East Carolina is 0-2 ATS on the road with 2 unders and 0 overs.
- At home, South Florida is 2-5 ATS with 5 unders and 2 overs.
- East Carolina averages 38.4 rebounds per game, which ranks 69th in the NCAA. South Florida ranks 139th in rebounds allowed per game (35.3).
- The Pirates rank 80th in blocks per game (3.8) while the Bulls rank 116th in blocks allowed per game (3.9).
- South Florida ranks 172nd in assists per game (12.9) while East Carolina ranks 185th in assists allowed per game (15.1).
Betting Trends:
- South Florida is 1-3 ATS with 2 overs and 2 unders in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, East Carolina is 0-3 ATS with 3 unders.
- The Bulls average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 4.6, up from 4.4 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Pirates have scored an average of 57.4 points per game (8.2 below their season average) and allowed an average of 68.2 points per game (1.4 below their season average).
