The Eastern Washington Eagles (15-13, 10-5 BigSky) will travel to Reed Gym to go head-to-head with the Idaho State Bengals (13-13, 8-7 BigSky) in their home finale. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 144.5 points with Eastern Washington set as a 3-point favorite. Action gets underway at 9 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 24, 2018.
Eastern Washington Eagles vs. Idaho State Bengals ATS Preview
In the Eagles last contest, they defeated the Weber State Wildcats, 75-70. Bogdan Bliznyuk was the top scorer from either team with 27 points on 11-for-21 shooting. Eastern Washington played a perfect game. They had a solid free throw rate of 0.283 (above their season average of 0.228) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 13.8 (below their season average of 23.3). Weber State recorded marks of 0.185 and 12.1, respectively, for those same stats.
The Bengals come in on a high note after just getting past the Idaho Vandals in their last matchup, 86-83. Idaho State was lifted by Brandon Boyd, who was the top scorer from either team with 32 points on 11-for-16 shooting. The Bengals knocked down 12 of their 16 free throws (75.0 percent) and had an effective field goal percentage of 0.661 (above their season average of 0.544).
Second-chance points might be hard to come by for Idaho State in this matchup. The Bengals rank 337th in offensive rebounding percentage (21.8 percent), while Eastern Washington ranks 26th in defensive rebounding percentage (75.7 percent). Ball protection should be an advantage for the Eagles. They rank 51st at avoiding errors (turnover percentage of 16.7 percent), while the Bengals force the 79th-fewest turnovers in the nation (opponents turnover percentage of 17.4 percent).
Of Eastern Washington’s 25 games that accepted bets, 14 have finished under the O/U total, while 12 of Idaho State’s 22 games have finished under the O/U total. Both teams have decent straight up (SU) records (15-13 for Eastern Washington; 13-13 for Idaho State), but the Bengals hold a slight edge against the spread (ATS). Idaho State is 13-8-1 ATS, while the Eagles are 13-12.
This is the first time these teams will go head-to-head this year. The Eagles won both contests played against each other last season. In the last game, Eastern Washington won 89-77. The Eagles dominated every facet of the game. They had a phenomenal free throw rate of 0.474 and a solid offensive rebounding percentage of 29.4. For those same stats, the Bengals put up marks of 0.288 and 20.0, respectively.
Eastern Washington Eagles at Idaho State Bengals ATS Prediction
Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Eastern Washington, ATS Winner – Idaho State, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Eagles are fourth in the nation with 2.1 blocks allowed per game while the Bengals are 58th with 2.9 blocks allowed per game.
- Eastern Washington ranks 46th in three pointers allowed per game (19.6) while Idaho State ranks 87th (20.4).
- On the road, Eastern Washington is 8-9 ATS with 9 unders and 8 overs.
- At home, Idaho State is 8-2 ATS with 5 overs and 5 unders.
- Eastern Washington ranks 198th in rebounds per game (34.2) while Idaho State ranks 270th (32.2).
- The Eagles rank 40th in steals allowed per game (5.3) while the Bengals rank 103rd (6.1).
- Eastern Washington ranks 179th in assists per game (13.0) while Idaho State ranks 236th (11.8).
Betting Trends:
- Idaho State is 4-1 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Eastern Washington is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
- The Bengals have outscored opponents by an average of 0.8 points in their last five games. For the season, Idaho State has been defeated by an average of 0.8 points.
- During their last five games, the Eagles have scored an average of 75.6 points per game (0.7 above their season average) and allowed an average of 74.8 points per game (2.6 above their season average).
