The Winthrop Eagles (8-5) will be at Kimmel Arena to meet the UNC Asheville Bulldogs (2-12) in a BigSou matchup. Action starts at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 5, 2019.
Winthrop Eagles vs. UNC Asheville Bulldogs ATS Odds
In their last contest, the Bulldogs easily got past the St. Andrews Presbyterian Knights, 87-47, while the Eagles were beaten by the Vanderbilt Commodores, 92-79.
UNC Asheville played a perfect game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 51.4 and a turnover percentage of 10.2. For those same stats, St. Andrews Presbyterian was 5.4 and 19.4, respectively. Winthrop, meanwhile, had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (30.2 vs. 15.2). UNC Asheville rallied around Devon Baker, who put up 27 points and six rebounds. Meanwhile, Nych Smith had a good game for Winthrop, contributing 21 points and five rebounds.
This was a highly competitive series last year. Each won one of the two games played against each other last season. In the most recent contest, the Bulldogs won 89-75. UNC Asheville had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (31.0 vs. 13.2). Winthrop, on the other hand, had a much better turnover percentage (11.5 vs. 17.7). This is the first time these teams will clash this year.
Josh Ferguson has really been playing well as of late for Winthrop, averaging 0 points over the last five games.
Points at the line might be hard to come by for UNC Asheville in this contest. The Bulldogs currently rank 275th in the country with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.201, while Winthrop ranks 67th in FTA rate allowed (0.193). Furthermore, the 55th-ranked offense of the Eagles (offensive efficiency of 113.2) will battle against the 344th-ranked defense of the Bulldogs (defensive efficiency of 115.2).
Winthrop Eagles vs. UNC Asheville Bulldogs ATS Pick
Pick: SU Winner – UNC Asheville, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Winthrop ranks 26th in rebounds per game (40.7) while UNC Asheville ranks 257th (29.4).
- The Bulldogs average 6.4 steals per game, which ranks 111th in the NCAA. The Eagles rank 164th in steals allowed per game (7.9).
- Winthrop ranks 110th in blocks per game (3.1) while UNC Asheville ranks 128th in blocks allowed per game (4.1).
- The Eagles rank 23rd in assists per game (16.8) while the Bulldogs rank 230th in assists allowed per game (17.4).
- Winthrop ranks third in three pointers attempted per game (32.1) while UNC Asheville ranks 174th (21.4).
Bettings Trends:
- The Eagles’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 3.8, down from 9.3 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Bulldogs have scored an average of 55.2 points per game (3.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 71.2 points per game (4.8 below their season average).
