UIC Flames vs Little Rock Trojans NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/15/24

Betting on today’s Flames and Trojans game? Catch the action at Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock, AR, as the Trojans hosts this showdown at 2:00 ET on ESPN+. The odds for this non-conference game currently have Little Rock as the -3 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 144.5 points.

UIC FLAMES VS LITTLE ROCK TROJANS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Little Rock Trojans -3

This game will be played at Jack Stephens Center at 2:00 ET on Sunday, December 15th.

WHY BET THE LITTLE ROCK TROJANS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-72 in favor of the Trojans.
• Not only will Little Rock pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -3.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 144.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 148 points.

Will UIC Pull Through as the Underdog Road Team?

UIC improved to 3-4 on the season after a narrow 69-68 win over Dartmouth on Sunday. Despite being -11.5 favorites, the Flames didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 137 fell short of the 152.5 O/U line.

UIC trailed 39-36 at halftime but tightened their defense in the second half, allowing just 27 points while scoring 30 to edge out the win.

UIC’s offense struggled in their last game, shooting just 33.8% from the field and 31.8% on two-point attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 40.8%, but they did manage to hit 37% of their three-point shots, connecting on 10 of 27 attempts.

Javon Jackson and Jordan Mason each scored 17 points, with Jackson hitting 3 of 6 from deep and Mason going 3 of 7. Ryan Cornish added 15 points, shooting 31.6% overall and 40% from beyond the arc. UIC grabbed 18 offensive rebounds and dished out 12 assists, with Cornish and Brandon Mitchell-Day each contributing 5 assists.

UIC’s defense held their opponent to 68 points on 33% shooting from the field, including 31% from two-point range (14/44). However, they allowed 10 threes on 27 attempts, with the opponent shooting 37% from beyond the arc.

From the free-throw line, the opponent went 11/17, hitting 64% of their attempts. UIC also gave up 18 offensive rebounds in the game.

Will the Trojans Pull Through as the Favored Home Team?

Little Rock Trojans Recent Game/Games

The Trojans improved to 4-4 on the season with a 63-57 win over Central Arkansas on Wednesday. Little Rock was favored by 9.5 points but didn’t cover the spread, and the game’s total points of 120 fell short of the 140.5 O/U line.

Little Rock led 32-25 at halftime and scored 31 points in the 2nd half while allowing 32. Despite not covering the spread, they secured the win and moved back to .500 for the season.

Little Rock managed just 63 points in their last game, shooting 39.7% from the field and 31% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 48.3%, and they hit 80% of their free throws, going 8-for-10 from the line.

Johnathan Lawson led the way with 18 points, hitting 6-of-9 threes, while Mwani Wilkinson added 15 points and 9 rebounds, despite shooting 3-of-11 from deep. The Trojans grabbed 10 offensive rebounds and dished out 14 assists as a team.

Little Rock’s defense held their opponent to just 57 points on 39% shooting from the field. They allowed 23 made field goals on 58 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Little Rock gave up 9 threes on 29 attempts, a 31% shooting rate. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 10 times, where they made 8 free throws.