The UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros (1-1) square off with the North Dakota State Bison (2-1) at American Bank Center. Action starts at 6 p.m. ET on Friday, November 15, 2019.
UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros vs. North Dakota State Bison ATS Odds
Both teams were victorious in their last game. The Bison beat the Cal Poly Mustangs 74-67, while the Vaqueros had no trouble getting past the Howard Payne Yellow Jackets 93-42.
UT Rio Grande Valley played a nearly flawless game. They had a fantastic offensive rebounding percentage of 53.3 and a turnover percentage of 10.2. Howard Payne was 17.9 and 29.8, respectively, for those same stats. The Bison, meanwhile, had a much better free throw rate (0.521 vs. 0.115) and had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (25.8 vs. 11.1). North Dakota State’s Tyson Ward had a solid performance, finishing with 14 points and seven rebounds. Meanwhile, Javon Levi played a pivotal role for UT Rio Grande Valley with 10 points, 12 assists and five rebounds.
Based on historical performance heading into this one, ball protection could play a significant role in this matchup. Since the 2018-19 season, North Dakota State has committed the 21st-fewest miscues in the nation (turnover percentage of 15.6 percent), while the pesky defense of UT Rio Grande Valley has forced the third-most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 24.9 percent). Also, the Vaqueros rank 11th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.291), while the Bison rank 31st in opponents’ FTA rate (0.187).
UT Rio Grande Valley vs. North Dakota State Pick
Free Basketball Pick: SU Winner – North Dakota State, ATS Winner – North Dakota State, O/U – Over
Betting Notes (2018-Present):
- UT Rio Grande Valley ranks fourth in steals per game (9.3) while North Dakota State ranks 279th (4.6).
- The Vaqueros rank 143rd in assists per game (13.6) while the Bison rank 264th (11.6).
- North Dakota State ranks 41st in blocks allowed per game (2.7) while UT Rio Grande Valley ranks 146th (3.4).
- The Bison rank 48th in three pointers attempted per game (25.9) while the Vaqueros rank 312th (17.2).
- North Dakota State ranks 69th in rebounds allowed per game (33.0) while UT Rio Grande Valley ranks 288th (38.6).
