The Lamar Cardinals (7-6) will be at Sharp Gymnasium to challenge the Houston Baptist Huskies (4-7) in a SthLnd matchup. The game gets underway at 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 2, 2019.
Lamar Cardinals vs. Houston Baptist Huskies ATS Odds
In their last matchup, the Huskies were blown out by the Arizona Wildcats, 90-60, while the Cardinals won big over the Huston-Tillotson Rams, 79-59.
Lamar played a nearly flawless game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 58.1 and an effective field goal percentage of 0.611. Huston-Tillotson put up marks of 37.2 and 0.402, respectively, for those same stats. Houston Baptist, meanwhile, had a better turnover percentage (12.9 vs. 15.1). Houston Baptist was led by Jalon Gates, who had 15 points. Josh Nzeakor had a good outing for Lamar, putting up 19 points and nine rebounds.
The Cardinals dominated this series last year, winning both contests. In the last matchup, Lamar won 87-73. Converting at the free throw line was one of Lamar’s largest strengths. They were 17-19 (89.5 percent), while the Huskies were just 9-17 (52.9 percent). This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams.
Houston Baptist might have a tough time finding the bottom of the net as they battle against one of the country’s best defenses. Lamar currently ranks 78th in defensive efficiency, while the Huskies rank 207th in offensive efficiency. Furthermore, the Cardinals rank 45th in offensive rebounding percentage (38.2 percent), while the Huskies rank 256th in defensive rebounding percentage (68.0 percent).
Lamar Cardinals vs. Houston Baptist Huskies Pick
Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Houston Baptist, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- Lamar averages 41.2 rebounds per game, which ranks 59th in the NCAA. Houston Baptist ranks 192nd in rebounds allowed per game (35.9).
- The Cardinals average 3.2 blocks per game, which ranks 148th in the nation. The Huskies rank 154th in blocks allowed per game (4.2).
- The Cardinals rank 102nd in assists per game (15.8) while the Huskies rank 197th in assists allowed per game (14.9).
- Lamar averages 10.2 steals per game, which ranks 15th in the nation. Houston Baptist ranks 105th in steals allowed per game (6.4).
Bettings Trends:
- The Huskies’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 13.2, up from 2.4 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Cardinals have scored an average of 81.0 points per game (0.8 below their season average) and allowed an average of 67.6 points per game (0.8 below their season average).
