SBC foes will battle when the Arkansas State Red Wolves (8-15, 3-7 SBC) take on the Georgia Southern Eagles (16-7, 7-3 SBC) at Convocation Center. Georgia Southern opened as a 5-point favorite, while the games Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 147 points. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 3, 2018, and it can be seen on ESPN 3.
Georgia Southern Eagles vs. Arkansas State Red Wolves ATS Preview
The last time the Eagles played, they were victorious over the Little Rock Trojans, 67-61. Tookie Brown was the top scorer from either team with 19 points on 5-for-9 shooting. The Eagles made 23 of their 29 free throws (79.3 percent), while the Trojans had a turnover percentage of 22.6 (above their season average of 18.9).
The Red Wolves are hoping for a better outcome after their 77-66 loss to the Georgia State Panthers in their last game. Deven Simms was the games high scorer with 28 points on 9-for-17 shooting. Georgia State had an effective field goal percentage of 0.654 (above their season average of 0.527). Arkansas State, meanwhile, had a free throw rate of 0.295 (above their season average of 0.214).
The offense of Arkansas State will square off against the stingy defense of Georgia Southern. The Red Wolves currently rank 186th in offensive efficiency, while the Eagles are 41st in defensive efficiency. The Eagles figure to have the edge on that end of the court. Additionally, the Eagles could control the offensive glass in this matchup as they rank 53rd in the NCAA in offensive rebounding percentage at 33.9 percent. The Red Wolves, meanwhile, rank 265th at grabbing defensive rebounds with a defensive rebounding percentage of 68.8 percent.
These teams have already met once this season. The Eagles won 80-49. The Eagles dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had a turnover percentage of 11.8 and an effective field goal percentage of 0.543. The Red Wolves were 20.0 and 0.379, respectively, for those same stats. Brown was the games top overall scorer with 20 points.
Georgia Southern Eagles vs. Arkansas State Red Wolves Prediction
Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Georgia Southern, ATS Winner – Georgia Southern, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Eagles rank sixth in steals allowed per game (4.3) while the Red Wolves rank 73rd (5.8).
- Georgia Southern ranks 36th in rebounds per game (39.2) while Arkansas State ranks 223rd (33.7).
- The Eagles rank 43rd in assists allowed per game (11.5) while the Red Wolves rank 166th (14.1).
- Arkansas State ranks 47th in three pointers allowed per game (19.6) while Georgia Southern ranks 161st (22.6).
Betting Trends:
- The Red Wolves average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 7.8, up from 4.0 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Eagles have scored an average of 65.6 points per game (9.7 below their season average) and allowed an average of 64.8 points per game (1.8 below their season average).
