The No. 20 Northwestern Wildcats (2-1) and the La Salle Explorers (3-0) face off in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off Naismith at Mohegan Sun Arena. Northwestern is an 8-point favorite on the opening line, while the games Over/Under (O/U) opened at 146.5 points. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, November 18, 2017, and it can be seen on ESPN 3.
La Salle Explorers vs. Northwestern Wildcats Betting Preview
The last time the Explorers played, they were victorious over the South Alabama Jaguars, 81-73. B.J. Johnson was the games high scorer with 30 points on 10-for-17 shooting. La Salle played a nearly flawless game. They had a great offensive rebounding percentage of 32.4 and a turnover percentage of 12.2. South Alabama put up marks of 16.1 and 20.7, respectively, for those same stats.
The Wildcats are hoping for a better outcome after their 92-88 loss to the Creighton Bluejays in their last outing. Vic Law was the games leading scorer with 30 points on 11-for-19 shooting. Creighton had a better offensive rebounding percentage (21.9 vs. 18.4). Northwestern, meanwhile, had a better turnover percentage (7.4 vs. 10.7).
La Salle could have a tough time creating turnovers. Dating back to last season, Northwestern ranks 28th in the nation at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 16.3 percent), while La Salle has forced the 234th-most turnovers (18.0 percent).
The Explorers have had a respectable 18-15 straight up (SU) record since last season, but are just 12-16-1 against the spread (ATS). La Salle games have had a tendency to go over the projected point total since last season (62.1 percent).
On the other hand, the Wildcats, have records of 25-12 SU and 22-13 ATS since last season. Vegas has been fairly accurate when predicting totals of Northwestern games over that same period with 17 unders compared to 16 overs.
La Salle Explorers vs. Northwestern Wildcats Betting Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Northwestern, ATS Winner – La Salle, O/U – Over
Betting Notes (2016-Present):
- The Explorers rank 146th in steals per game (6.3) while the Wildcats rank 244th (5.1).
- Northwestern averages 20.8 three pointers per game, which ranks 186th in the NCAA. La Salle ranks 215th in three pointers allowed per game (22.2).
- Northwestern ranks 20th in blocks per game (5.1) while La Salle ranks 257th (2.2).
- The Wildcats rank 73rd in assists per game (15.0) while the Explorers rank 249th in assists allowed per game (14.8).
- Northwestern ranks 148th in rebounds per game (36.2) while La Salle ranks 273rd (33.3).
