The North Texas Mean Green (15-16, 8-10 CUSA) and the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (16-15, 7-11 CUSA) square off in the Conference USA Conference Tourney at Ford Center at The Star. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 140 points with Louisiana Tech opening as a 2.5-point favorite. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 7, 2018.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs. North Texas Mean Green ATS Preview
The Bulldogs fell to the Southern Miss Golden Eagles in their last outing, 72-64. Louisiana Tech’s Amorie Archibald had a solid game, leading the team in scoring with 21 points on 8-for-16 shooting. Southern Miss had an effective field goal percentage of 0.604 (above their season average of 0.507). Louisiana Tech, on the other hand, held the Golden Eagles to an offensive rebounding percentage of 12.0 (below their season average of 22.0).
In the Mean Green’s last matchup, they were beaten by the UTEP Miners, 68-66. Ryan Woolridge led North Texas in scoring with 17 points on 7-for-17 shooting. UTEP had an effective field goal percentage of 0.578 (above their season average of 0.500). North Texas, on the other hand, held the Miners to an offensive rebounding percentage of 13.3 (below their season average of 19.8).
Second-chance opportunities could be few and far between for Louisiana Tech in this showdown. The Bulldogs are among the nation’s elite on the offensive glass, ranking 214th in offensive rebounding percentage at 27.9 percent. Meanwhile, North Texas ranks 61st in the NCAA at corralling defensive rebounds with a defensive rebounding percentage of 74.2 percent.
Games involving these teams tend to go under the projected point total. Louisiana Tech games have gone under 66.7 percent of the time, while North Texas games have finished under 60.0 percent of the time. Both teams have respectable straight up (SU) records (16-15 for Louisiana Tech; 15-16 for North Texas), but the Mean Green have the advantage against the spread (ATS). North Texas is 15-10 ATS, while the Bulldogs are 10-17.
These teams have already met once this season. The two teams combined to score 131 points in that game, which was under the projected point total of 140. The Bulldogs won 66-65, but were unable to cover as 7-point favorites. One of Louisiana Tech’s largest advantages was getting to the free throw line. They had 27 free throw attempts, while North Texas had 18. Anthony Duruji scored a game-high 25 points.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs. North Texas Mean Green Odds Prediction
Prediction: SU Winner – North Texas, ATS Winner – North Texas, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Bulldogs rank 147th in steals per game (6.0) while the Mean Green rank 230th (4.9).
- Louisiana Tech is 44th in the NCAA with 19.4 three pointers allowed per game while North Texas is 51st with 19.6 three pointers allowed per game.
- Louisiana Tech ranks 62nd in blocks per game (4.0) while North Texas ranks 185th in blocks allowed per game (4.1).
- The Mean Green rank 24th in assists allowed per game (11.0) while the Bulldogs rank 145th (13.4).
- North Texas averages 37.6 rebounds per game, which ranks 68th in the NCAA. Louisiana Tech ranks 164th in rebounds allowed per game (35.0).
Bettings Trends:
- North Texas is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 push in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Louisiana Tech is 1-4 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
- The Mean Green have been outscored by an average of 1.4 points in their last five games. On the season, North Texas has defeated opponents by an average of 1.7 points.
- During their last five games, the Bulldogs have scored an average of 68.6 points per game (6.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 73.4 points per game (2.2 above their season average).
