AmEast foes will collide when the Maine Black Bears (4-14, 1-2 AmEast) square off against the Albany Great Danes (13-5, 1-2 AmEast) at Cross Insurance Center. Action starts at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 13, 2018, and it can be seen on ESPN 3.
Albany Great Danes at Maine Black Bears Betting Preview
The last time the Great Danes played, they defeated the Stony Brook Seawolves, 78-65. With 19 points and six rebounds, David Nichols had a good outing for Albany. Albany played a nearly flawless game. They had a free throw rate of 0.255 (below their season average of 0.266) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 28.6 (below their season average of 36.7). Stony Brook was 0.083 and 21.6, respectively, for those same stats.
The Black Bears are hoping for a better outcome after their 72-67 loss to the UMBC Retrievers in their last game. Aaron Calixte was the top scorer from either team with 24 points on 9-for-12 shooting. One of UMBC’s largest strengths was getting to the free throw line. They had 29 free throw attempts, while Maine had 18.
Second-chance points might be few and far between for Maine in this showdown. The Black Bears currently rank 281st in offensive rebounding percentage (25.3 percent), while Albany ranks 57th in defensive rebounding percentage (74.7 percent).
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams, after the Great Danes won both meetings last season. In the last game, Albany won 74-56. The Great Danes dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had an extraordinarily low turnover percentage of 3.9 and an offensive rebounding percentage of 26.8. For those same stats, the Black Bears were 12.8 and 17.1, respectively.
Albany Great Danes at Maine Black Bears ATS Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Maine, ATS Winner – Maine, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Albany ranks sixth in rebounds allowed per game (29.9) while Maine ranks 243rd (39.0).
- The Black Bears rank 54th in three pointers attempted per game (25.4) while the Great Danes rank 273rd (15.2).
Betting Trends:
- The Black Bears average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 5.2, down from 5.9 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Great Danes have scored an average of 69.8 points per game (6.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 67.8 points per game (2.5 below their season average).
