The North Florida Ospreys (9-13, 3-2 Asun) look to put an end to the seven-game winning streak of FGCU when they welcome the Eagles (14-8, 5-0 Asun) to UNF Arena. Action starts at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 24, 2018, and it can be seen on ESPN 3.
FGCU Eagles at North Florida Ospreys Odds Preview
,The Eagles beat the Kennesaw State Owls in their last outing, 66-49. With 17 points and six rebounds, FGCU’s Zach Johnson had a solid performance. FGCU played a nearly perfect game. They had a phenomenal offensive rebounding percentage of 35.5 (above their season average of 33.1) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.490 (below their season average of 0.547). Kennesaw State put up marks of 23.1 and 0.350, respectively, for those same stats.
In the Ospreys last matchup, they blew out the USC Upstate Spartans, 100-80. With 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting, Noah Horchler was the games high scorer. The Ospreys knocked down 22 of their 25 free throws (88.0 percent) and had an effective field goal percentage of 0.639 (above their season average of 0.524).
The offense of North Florida (171st in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 105.7) will square off against the top-notch defense of FGCU (59th in the NCAA with a defensive efficiency of 96.7). The Eagles should have the edge on that end of the court. ,
Both teams have had a player heat up over their last five games. For the Eagles, it’s been Johnson, who has averaged 15.0 points, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals, while the Ospreys have received solid contributions from Horchler (10.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.4 blocks).
This is the first time these teams will battle this year, after the Eagles won all three matchups last season. In the last contest, FGCU won 77-61. The Eagles 9.1 turnover percentage was their largest strength over the Ospreys, who had a rate of 16.3.
FGCU Eagles at North Florida Ospreys Free Prediction
,Predictions: SU Winner – FGCU, ATS Winner – FGCU, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Eagles average 7.0 steals per game, which ranks 70th in the nation. The Ospreys rank 191st in steals allowed per game (8.5).
- FGCU ranks 133rd in blocks per game (3.0) while North Florida ranks 149th in blocks allowed per game (4.3).
- FGCU ranks 49th in rebounds per game (38.7) while North Florida ranks 281st in rebounds allowed per game (41.9).
- The Ospreys rank seventh in three pointers attempted per game (29.6) while the Eagles rank 201st (20.2).
- FGCU ranks 51st in assists allowed per game (11.7) while North Florida ranks 244th (17.4).
Betting Trends:
- The Ospreys average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 0.6, down from 7.2 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Eagles have scored an average of 77.4 points per game (1.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 59.2 points per game (9.8 below their season average).
