Lamar Cardinals vs Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/7/24

Don’t miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Cardinals and Vaqueros. The game is starting at 5:30 ET on ESPN+, and it’s hosted by the Vaqueros at UTRGV Fieldhouse in Edinburg, TX. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under for this Southland conference contest is set at 151 points, with Texas-Rio Grande Valley being favored by -8.5 at home against Lamar.

LAMAR CARDINALS VS TEXAS-RIO GRANDE VALLEY VAQUEROS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Lamar Cardinals +8.5

This game will be played at UTRGV Fieldhouse at 5:30 ET on Saturday, December 7th.

WHY BET THE LAMAR CARDINALS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-71 in favor of the Vaqueros.
• Even though we have Texas-Rio Grande Valley winning straight-up, we like Lamar at +8.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 151 points, and we like the under with a projected 147 points.

Do the Cardinals Have What it Takes on the Road?

Lamar picked up their first win of the season on Thursday, defeating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 65-61. The Cardinals, who are now 1-5, were +8.5 point underdogs going into the game and covered the spread with the win.

Lamar’s defense was key in the win, as they held the Islanders to just 19 points in the 2nd half after allowing 42 in the 1st half. The Cardinals scored 32 points in the 2nd half to complete the comeback. The game’s total points of 126 fell well short of the 151 O/U line.

Lamar’s offense put up 65 points in their last game, shooting 44.8% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 50%. They hit 31.6% from three-point range, going 6-for-19, and connected on 51.3% of their two-point attempts (20-for-39). At the free-throw line, they made 7 of 9 shots, good for 77.8%.

Alexis Marmolejos was a standout from beyond the arc, hitting 4 of 6 threes and finishing with 17 points. Garry Clark was efficient inside, shooting 77.8% (7-for-9) and adding 14 points and 5 rebounds. Ja’Sean Jackson contributed 13 points and dished out 9 assists, while Andrew Holifield chipped in 12 points and 6 boards.

Despite Lamar’s defensive efforts, they couldn’t stop the Cardinals from scoring 61 points. The Cardinals shot 42% from the field, making 24 of their 56 attempts.

Lamar was strong in defending the three-point line, as the Cardinals missed all 13 of their three-point attempts. From the free-throw line, the Cardinals shot 56%, hitting 13 of 23.

Will the Vaqueros Secure A Victory as Home Favorites?

Texas-Rio Grande Valley improved to 4-3 on the season with a 68-65 win over Stephen F. Austin on Thursday. The Vaqueros were -5.5 favorites heading into the game but didn’t cover the spread.

Leading 24-22 at halftime, UTRGV scored 44 points in the 2nd half while allowing 43. The combined points of 133 fell short of the 143.5 O/U line.

Texas-Rio Grande Valley’s offense put up 68 points in their last game, shooting 38.9% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 48.1%, with a 44.4% mark on two-pointers and 33.3% from beyond the arc, hitting 9 of 27 threes. At the free-throw line, they connected on 81%, going 17 for 21.

DK Thorn and Keon Thompson each scored 20 points, with Thorn hitting 5 of 10 threes. Thompson shot 64.3% overall, adding 4 assists. K.T. Raimey contributed 17 points, while Kyle Hayman added 14 points and 6 rebounds.

Texas-Rio Grande Valley’s defense held their opponent to 65 points on 38% shooting, with 21 made field goals from 54 attempts. They limited two-point shots to 12/27, or 44%.

From beyond the arc, their opponent shot 33%, hitting 9 of 27 three-point attempts. Texas-Rio Grande Valley sent them to the line 21 times, where they made 17 free throws, an 81% success rate. The Vaqueros also allowed 10 offensive rebounds.