Samford Bulldogs vs Valparaiso Beacons Betting Pick & Prediction 12/19/23

The Bulldogs and Beacons are set to face off at 2:00 ET on ESPN+. The Beacons will host the game at Athletics-Recreation Center in Valparaiso, IN. The Bulldogs are the favored team in this non-conference contest against the Beacons. The game’s over/under currently sits at 155.5 points.

SAMFORD BULLDOGS VS VALPARAISO BEACONS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Valparaiso Beacons +9.5

This game will be played at Athletics-Recreation Center at 2:00 ET on Tuesday, December 19th.

WHY BET THE VALPARAISO BEACONS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-66 in favor of the Beacons.
• Not only will Valparaiso pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +9.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 155.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 143 points.

Is It the Bulldogs Game to Lose on the Road?

After 11 games, Samford has a 9-2 overall record. In away games, the Bulldogs are 0-2, while at home they are 4-0. So far this season, Samford has a below-average ATS record of 2-4. This includes a 0-2 record on the road vs. the spread and a 2-2 record at home.

Looking at their over/under performance through 11 games, Samford has an over/under record of 3-3-0, with their games averaging 152.2 points per game on average. The Bulldogs’ last five games have culminated with an average of 188 points per game and an over/under record of 2-1.

The Samford offense is coming off a game where they scored 88 points against Louisiana-Lafayette. They posted a field goal percentage of 54.4% and connected on 5 threes. One area that the Samford offense has been good this season is getting to the line. Currently, they are 121st in free-throw attempts per contest. Overall, they have a field goal percentage of 48%.

Facing Valparaiso, Samford aims for a better defensive performance, given their current average of 77.2 points allowed per game (234th). In their previous game vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, the Ragin’ Cajuns finished with a field goal percentage of 54% and a total of 65 points vs. Samford.

Can the Valparaiso Offense Score Enough at Home?

Valparaiso comes into today’s game with a 4-7 record, having lost their most recent game to Virginia Tech by a score of 71-50. Looking at their last ten home games, Valparaiso has a 5-5 record, which includes games from last year. As of now, Valparaiso holds a 5-3-1 record against the spread heading into today’s matchup. In home games, Valparaiso is 3-2 vs. the spread this year and has a 4-5 ATS mark in their previous ten games at home.

So far, Valparaiso’s games have averaged 135.2 points per game with the average over/under line being 144.2 points. Over the course of the last five games, the Beacons’ games have averaged 135 points per game, along with an over/under record of 1-4.

In their latest game, Valparaiso offense put up 50 points against Virginia Tech. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 40.4% and made 3 threes. Isaiah Stafford is currently the leading scorer for the team, entering today’s matchup with an average of 17.5. Meanwhile, Cooper Schwieger also brings a PPG average of 10.5 into the game.

Currently, the Beacons’ defense holds the 114th rank in the nation, allowing 69.0 points per game. Against Virginia Tech in their most recent game, the Valparaiso defense gave up a total of 71 points while allowing Virginia Tech to hit 43% of their shots.