OVC foes will clash when the Jacksonville State Gamecocks (8-4) meet the Eastern Kentucky Colonels (6-7) at Pete Mathews Coliseum. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 133.5 points with Jacksonville State set as a 12.5-point favorite. Action begins at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 28, 2017.
Eastern Kentucky Colonels at Jacksonville State Gamecocks Betting Preview
In the Colonels last matchup, they got blown out by the Marshall Thundering Herd, 91-71. Eastern Kentucky’s Jackson Davis had 17 points and six rebounds in the contest. Marshall did a great job of converting from the charity stripe (12-16; 75.0 percent). Eastern Kentucky, meanwhile, forced the Thundering Herd into a turnover percentage of 24.4 (above their season average of 15.3).
The Gamecocks are hoping for a better outcome after their 70-67 loss to the Chattanooga Mocs in their last matchup. With 14 points and 12 rebounds, Christian Cunningham played well for Jacksonville State. Chattanooga had a better free throw rate (0.129 vs. 0.079). Jacksonville State, meanwhile, had a better offensive rebounding percentage (25.7 vs. 24.4).
Jacksonville State could dominate on the offensive side of the ball as their sweet-shooting offense squares off against one of the worst defenses in the NCAA. The Gamecocks currently rank 53rd in effective field goal percentage (0.555), while Eastern Kentucky ranks 278th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.532).
Of Eastern Kentucky’s 8 games that accepted bets, four have finished over the projected point total, while 5 of Jacksonville State’s 7 games have finished over the projected point total. The Gamecocks hold a sizable advantage in both straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records. They are 8-4 SU and 5-2 ATS, while the Colonels are 6-7 SU and 2-6 ATS.
Malcolm Drumwright has taken his game to another level over the last five games for Jacksonville State, averaging 13.6 points and 3.8 assists per game.
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Colonels won both games played against each other last season. In the most recent matchup, Eastern Kentucky won 68-65. The Colonels played a nearly flawless game. They had an absurd free throw rate of 0.455 and an effective field goal percentage of 0.545. For those same stats, the Gamecocks put up marks of 0.203 and 0.406, respectively.
Eastern Kentucky Colonels vs. Jacksonville State Gamecocks Betting Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Jacksonville State, ATS Winner – Eastern Kentucky, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Colonels rank 200th in three pointers attempted per game (20.0) while the Gamecocks rank 245th (17.6).
- Jacksonville State averages 5.9 steals per game, which ranks 130th in the nation. Eastern Kentucky ranks 155th in steals allowed per game (7.6).
- Eastern Kentucky is 2-6 ATS on the road with 4 overs, 3 unders and 1 push.
- At home, Jacksonville State is 2-1 ATS with 2 overs and 1 under.
- Jacksonville State ranks 43rd in assists per game (16.6) while Eastern Kentucky ranks 208th in assists allowed per game (16.2).
- The Gamecocks rank 22nd in blocks per game (5.6) while the Colonels rank 125th in blocks allowed per game (3.9).
- Jacksonville State ranks 43rd in rebounds per game (39.3) while Eastern Kentucky ranks 138th (35.9).
Bettings Trends:
- Jacksonville State is 2-1 ATS with 2 overs and 1 under in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Eastern Kentucky is 1-2 ATS with 2 overs and 1 under.
- The Gamecocks average margin of victory in their last five games has been 9.0, down from 12.8 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Colonels have scored an average of 69.8 points per game (3.0 below their season average) and allowed an average of 77.4 points per game (1.1 above their season average).
