Sam Houston State Bearkats vs FIU Golden Panthers Betting Pick & Prediction 2/3/24

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Bearkats versus the Golden Panthers? Tip off is at at 2:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at Ocean Bank Convocation Center in Miami, FL. Sam Houston State is favored by -2.5 in this Conference USA conference contest against FIU. The game’s over/under currently sits at 148.5 points.

SAM HOUSTON STATE BEARKATS VS FIU GOLDEN PANTHERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: FIU Golden Panthers +2.5

This game will be played at Ocean Bank Convocation Center at 2:00 ET on Saturday, February 3rd.

WHY BET THE FIU GOLDEN PANTHERS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-67 in favor of the Golden Panthers.
• Not only will FIU pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +2.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 148.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 144 points.

Will the Bearkats Defense Show Up on the Road?

Sam Houston State heads into today’s game with a 13-9 record, including a 6-1 mark in Conference USA action. They have won their last three games, and their overall record as the favorite is 10-2.

On the road this season, the Bearkats have gone 5-7, and their average scoring margin is -5.8. Over their last 10 games away from home, they have gone 4-6.

As the favorite, Sam Houston State has gone 7-5 vs. the spread this season. On the road, the Bearkats have an ATS mark of 7-5 and over their last 10 games as the favorite, they are 6-4 vs. the spread.

So far this season, the over/under record for Sam Houston State games is 12-9. The average over/under line in their games is 141 and the average scoring in their games is 143.2 points. Today’s over/under line of 148.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games this season. Over their last three games, their games have averaged 138 points compared to their season average of 143.2 points.

Coming off a good offensive performance, Sam Houston State’s offense scored 79 points against Western Kentucky. Their field goal percentage for the game was 47.7%, and they went 7/11 from the free-throw line. Davon Barnes is leading the team in scoring at 14.2 points per contest. Lamar Wilkerson has also been a key contributor with a PPG average of 14.6 going into the game.

The Bearkats’ defense is presently ranked 151st nationally, allowing an average of 71.2 points per contest. Against Western Kentucky in their most recent game, the Sam Houston State defense gave up a total of 77 points while allowing Western Kentucky to hit 46% of their shots.

Will FIU Win at Home?

FIU has been a much better team at home this season compared to on the road, as they are 6-6 at home compared to 0-9 on the road. The Golden Panthers have lost four straight games, including a 93-53 loss to Louisiana Tech in their most recent game.

For the season, FIU is 7-15 overall and 2-5 in Conference USA play. As the underdog, they are 0-11 compared to 6-4 as the favorite. The Golden Panthers’ average scoring margin at home is -3.0 points per game, and their record over the last 10 games at home is 6-4.

Overall, FIU has a losing ATS record of 9-12 this season. At home, their ATS mark is 6-6, and they are 5-4 in their last 10 home games. As the underdog, the Golden Panthers have gone 4-7 against the spread this year and are just 1-4 in their last five games as the underdog.

FIU’s over/under record this season is 11-9-1, and the average scoring total in their games is 150.9 points. Today’s over/under line of 148.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games (148.2). Over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-0-1 and the average scoring total in those games is 160 points.

Against Louisiana Tech, the FIU had a tough time putting up points compared to their season average of 75.2 points per game. They scored 53 points and posted a field goal percentage of 32.2% in the game. Jayden Brewer led the team in scoring, putting up 18 points. Additionally, Arturo Dean contributed 8 points for the Golden Panthers.

Currently, the Golden Panthers’ defense holds the 281st rank in the nation, allowing 78.0 points per game. FIU’s three-point defense is currently 203rd in the country at 8.5 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 47.9% of their shots vs. FIU.