Chicago State Cougars vs Valparaiso Beacons Betting Pick & Prediction 12/16/23

Don’t miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Cougars and Beacons. The game is starting at 4:00 ET on ESPN+, and it’s hosted by the Beacons at Athletics-Recreation Center in Valparaiso, IN. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under for this game is set at 135.5 points, and the Beacons are the home favorites against the Cougars in a non-conference matchup.

CHICAGO STATE COUGARS VS VALPARAISO BEACONS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Valparaiso Beacons -3.5

This game will be played at Athletics-Recreation Center at 4:00 ET on Saturday, December 16th.

WHY BET THE VALPARAISO BEACONS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 78-66 in favor of the Beacons.
• Not only will Valparaiso pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -3.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 135.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 144 points.

Is A Road Victory Likely for Underdog Chicago State?

This will be Chicago State’s 14th game of the season and they are currently 4-9 overall. All of the Cougars’ games this season have been played on the road. As of now, Chicago State holds a 5-5-1 record vs. the spread heading into today’s game. Over their last five games, the team has gone 3-2 vs. the spread.

So far, Chicago State’s games have averaged 140.2 points per game with the average over/under line being 140.3 points. When assessing the Cougars’ performance in their last three games, their over/under record stands at 1-2, with their games averaging 131 points per game.

Chicago State finished with 75 points in their game against Northwestern. This total surpasses their season-average of 65.8 points per game. Offensively, the Cougars have a season long field goal percentage of 40%, which is 381st in the nation. In terms of three-pointers, they are 364th in percentage and 295th in three-pointers made.

So far, the Cougars’ defense is ranked 149th in the country at 71.8 points per contest. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Chicago State’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 47.8% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 31.6% this season.

Can the Beacons Lock in a Home Win?

Today, Valparaiso will be playing against Chicago State with a 4-6 record. Over their last ten home games, Valparaiso has gone 5-5, including games from last year. As Valparaiso gets ready to face Chicago State, their ATS record sits at 5-3-1. Looking back at their previous five games, they hold a 2-2-1 record vs. the spread.

Looking at their over/under performance through 10 games, Valparaiso has an over/under record of 2-7-0, with their games averaging 135.2 points per game on average. Over the course of the last five games, the Beacons’ games have averaged 136 points per game, along with an over/under record of 1-4.

In contrast to their season average of 67.8 points per game, the Valparaiso had a below average performance. They scored 50 points against Virginia Tech and had a field goal percentage of 40.4%. Leading the team in scoring was Isaiah Stafford with 14 points. Jaxon Edwards also added 13 points for the Beacons.

Coming into today’s game, the Valparaiso defense is giving up an average of 69.8 points per contest. In their previous game vs. Virginia Tech, the Hokies finished with a field goal percentage of 43% and a total of 71 points vs. Valparaiso.