SBC foes will battle when the Arkansas State Red Wolves (5-8) square off against the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (6-4) at Convocation Center. Arkansas State opened as a 4.5-point favorite, while the games Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 145 points. Action begins at 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday, December 29, 2017.
Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks vs. Arkansas State Red Wolves Betting Preview
The Warhawks easily got past the Centenary Gentlemen in their last contest, 74-51. Travis Munnings was the top scorer from either team with 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting. Louisiana-Monroe played a nearly perfect game. They had a free throw rate of 0.182 (matching their season average) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.582 (above their season average of 0.548). Centenary recorded marks of 0.103 and 0.388, respectively, for those same stats.
The last time the Red Wolves played, they dismantled the Culver-Stockton Wildcats, 99-68. Arkansas State received a boost from Tamas Bruce, who led the team in scoring with 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting. Arkansas State dominated every stat category in the game. They had a solid turnover percentage of 8.7 (better than their season average of 19.2) and a free throw rate of 0.262 (above their season average of 0.217). For those same stats, Culver-Stockton put up marks of 24.8 and 0.164, respectively.
Half-court execution will be critical when two of the NCAA’s slowest-paced teams battle. Arkansas State currently ranks 259th in possessions per game (70.9) and Louisiana-Monroe is 316th (66.2).
These two teams are complete opposites in terms of the O/U total. Louisiana-Monroe games have gone over 66.7 percent of the time, while games involving Arkansas State have finished under 55.6 percent of the time. The Warhawks have the better straight up (SU) record (6-4 vs. 5-8), but the Red Wolves hold the significant advantage against the spread (ATS) (3-6 vs. 1-2).
Both teams have had a player trending in the right direction over their last five games. For the Warhawks, it’s been Munnings, who has averaged 19.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.8 steals, while the Red Wolves have received solid contributions from Ty Cockfield (15.6 points).
This is the first time these teams will meet this year, after the Red Wolves won two out of three meetings last season. In the last game, Louisiana-Monroe won 73-70. Louisiana-Monroe did a great job of converting from the charity stripe (12-15; 80.0 percent). Arkansas State, meanwhile, had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (48.8 vs. 36.4).
Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks at Arkansas State Red Wolves Free Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Louisiana-Monroe, ATS Winner – Louisiana-Monroe, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- On the road, Louisiana-Monroe is 1-2 ATS with 2 overs and 1 under.
- Arkansas State is 0-1 ATS at home with 1 over and 0 unders.
- Arkansas State ranks 37th in three pointers allowed per game (18.1) while Louisiana-Monroe ranks 87th (21.5).
Bettings Trends:
- Arkansas State is 3-0 ATS with 2 unders and 1 over in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Louisiana-Monroe is 0-1 ATS with 1 under.
- The Red Wolves have outscored opponents by an average of 6.8 points in their last five games. On the season, Arkansas State has been defeated by an average of 1.1 points.
- During their last five games, the Warhawks have scored an average of 72.0 points per game (2.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 54.4 points per game (9.1 below their season average).
