A six-game home winning streak is on the line for the Lamar Cardinals (7-7, 0-1 SthLnd) when they meet the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders (6-8, 1-0 SthLnd) at Montagne Center. Action starts at 5:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 5, 2019.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders at Lamar Cardinals ATS Odds
Both teams easily got past their last opponent. The Cardinals defeated the Huston-Tillotson Rams 79-59, while the Islanders beat the Howard Payne Yellow Jackets 81-34.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi dominated every facet of the game. They had a free throw rate of 0.269 and a turnover percentage of 14.0. Howard Payne put up marks of 0.053 and 33.6, respectively, for those same stats. Meanwhile, Lamar played a nearly perfect game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 58.1 and an effective field goal percentage of 0.611. For those same stats, Huston-Tillotson was 37.2 and 0.402, respectively. Josh Nzeakor put together a good outing for Lamar with 19 points and nine rebounds. Meanwhile, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was lifted by Irshaad Hunte, who contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds.
The Cardinals dominated this series last year, taking both games. In the last contest, Lamar won 79-76. Lamar’s free throw rate was their largest advantage over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The Cardinals had a rate of 0.214, while the Islanders posted a mark of 0.175. This is the first time these teams will clash this year.
Points could be at a premium in this battle between two of the country’s top defenses. Lamar ranks 37th in defensive efficiency (92.1) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is 60th (94.3).
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders at Lamar Cardinals Pick
Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Lamar, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- Lamar ranks fifth in steals per game (10.2) while Texas A&M-Corpus Christi ranks 101st (6.6).
- The Islanders average 3.3 blocks per game, which ranks 100th in the country. The Cardinals rank 135th in blocks allowed per game (4.2).
- The Cardinals rank 50th in assists per game (15.6) while the Islanders rank 128th (13.6).
- Lamar ranks 21st in rebounds per game (40.9) while Texas A&M-Corpus Christi ranks 91st in rebounds allowed per game (33.9).
Bettings Trends:
- The Islanders’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 14.6, up from 2.4 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Cardinals have scored an average of 81.0 points per game (0.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 67.6 points per game (2.2 below their season average).
