The La Salle Explorers (13-18, 7-11 A10) and the Massachusetts Minutemen (12-19, 5-13 A10) go head-to-head in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tourney at Capital One Arena. The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 146 points with La Salle opening as a 5-point favorite. Action gets underway at 6 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 7, 2018.
Massachusetts Minutemen vs. La Salle Explorers ATS Preview
The Minutemen defeated the Duquesne Dukes in their last contest, 85-75. With 12 points and 12 assists, C.J. Anderson had a good outing for Massachusetts. Massachusetts dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a free throw rate of 0.218 (above their season average of 0.178) and a turnover percentage of 12.5 (better than their season average of 16.3). Duquesne was 0.098 and 15.6, respectively, for those same stats.
In the Explorers’ last matchup, they were topped by the Saint Joseph’s Hawks, 78-70. Pookie Powell was the top scorer from either team with 26 points on 9-for-18 shooting. Saint Joseph’s had a free throw rate of 0.333 (above their season average of 0.233). La Salle, meanwhile, had a turnover percentage of 10.1 (better than their season average of 15.1).
Massachusetts could have a tough time creating turnovers. La Salle ranks 61st in the nation at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 16.9 percent), while Massachusetts forces the 73rd-fewest turnovers (17.0 percent).
Both of these teams have typically finished over the projected point total. Games including Massachusetts have finished over 64.3 percent of the time, while 63.3 percent of La Salle games have gone over. Both teams have mediocre straight up (SU) records (12-19 for Massachusetts; 13-18 for La Salle), but the Minutemen have the edge against the spread (ATS). Massachusetts is 14-14 ATS, while the Explorers are 11-17-2.
These two teams have met twice already this season, each winning once. B.J. Johnson scored a game-high 26 points in the most recent matchup, in which the Explorers beat the Minutemen 87-72, covering as 7-point favorites. He also recorded six rebounds. The two teams combined to score 159 points, which was 21 points above the projected point total of 138 points. The Explorers played a flawless game. They had a turnover percentage of 10.4 and an offensive rebounding percentage of 25.8. The Minutemen recorded marks of 18.7 and 18.2, respectively, for those same stats.
Massachusetts Minutemen vs. La Salle Explorers Prediction
Pick: SU Winner – La Salle, ATS Winner – La Salle, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- La Salle ranks 63rd in assists allowed per game (11.8) while Massachusetts ranks 272nd (16.5).
- The Explorers rank 146th in rebounds per game (35.3) while the Minutemen rank 245th (32.8).
- La Salle ranks 163rd in steals per game (5.8) while Massachusetts ranks 226th (4.9).
Bettings Trends:
- La Salle is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Massachusetts is 3-2 ATS with 5 overs.
- The Explorers have outscored opponents by an average of 5.6 points in their last five games. On the season, La Salle has lost by an average of 0.8 points.
- During their last five games, the Minutemen have scored an average of 76.4 points per game (4.5 above their season average) and allowed an average of 81.6 points per game (6.8 above their season average).
