The La Salle Explorers (1-0) will travel to Palestra to meet the Penn Quakers (0-1) in their home opener. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 143 points with Penn opening as a 2.5-point favorite. Action starts at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, November 13, 2017.
La Salle Explorers vs. Penn Quakers Free Preview
The Explorers won big over the Saint Peter’s Peacocks in their last game, 61-40, easily covering as 9.5-point favorites. With 15 points and 11 rebounds, La Salle’s B.J. Johnson played well. La Salle dominated every stat category in the game. They had a free throw rate of 0.213 and an effective field goal percentage of 0.543. For those same stats, Saint Peter’s was 0.061 and 0.378, respectively. The two teams combined to put up 101 points, which came in well under the projected point total of 131.5.
The last time the Quakers played, they were 3.5-point favorites and lost to the Fairfield Stags, 80-72. Ryan Betley led Penn in scoring with 20 points on 7-for-18 shooting. Fairfield did a great job of making free throws (20-24; 83.3 percent). Penn, on the other hand, had a much better turnover percentage (10.1 vs. 19.4). The two teams combined to score 152 points, which finished over the O/U total of 142.5.
Second-chance opportunities might be rare for Penn in this matchup. The Quakers rank 250th in offensive rebounding percentage (27.4 percent), while La Salle ranks 100th in defensive rebounding percentage (72.7 percent) since last season.
The Explorers have had a decent 16-15 straight up (SU) record since last season, but are just 11-15-1 against the spread (ATS). Games including La Salle have had a tendency to go over the O/U total since last season (59.3 percent).
Meanwhile, the Quakers, have records of 13-16 SU and 10-14-1 ATS since last season. Penn’s games have had a tendency to finish under the projected point total over that same time frame (56.0 percent).
The Quakers won the only game against the Explorers last season, 77-74. Penn had a much better turnover percentage (13.9 vs. 20.2). La Salle, meanwhile, did a terrific job of converting from the free throw line (18-25; 72.0 percent).
La Salle Explorers vs. Penn Quakers Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Penn, ATS Winner – La Salle, O/U – Over
Betting Notes (2016-Present):
- The Quakers rank 205th in rebounds per game (34.9) while the Explorers rank 284th (32.5).
- Penn averages 6.4 steals per game, which ranks 125th in the nation. La Salle ranks 146th in steals allowed per game (6.2).
- Penn averages 25.1 three pointers per game, which ranks 34th in the NCAA. La Salle ranks 215th in three pointers allowed per game (22.1).
- The Quakers average 14.3 assists per game, which ranks 109th in the NCAA. The Explorers rank 255th in assists allowed per game (14.9).
- Penn ranks 122nd in blocks per game (3.6) while La Salle ranks 255th (2.1).
