Abilene Christian Wildcats vs Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros Betting Pick & Prediction 2/15/24

The Wildcats and Vaqueros are set to face off at 7:30 ET on ESPN+. The Vaqueros will host the game at UTRGV Fieldhouse in Edinburg, TX. Abilene Christian come into this Western Athletic conference matchup as the -2.5 favorite. The over/under line currently sits at 149.5 points.

ABILENE CHRISTIAN WILDCATS VS TEXAS-RIO GRANDE VALLEY VAQUEROS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros +2.5

This game will be played at UTRGV Fieldhouse at 7:30 ET on Thursday, February 15th.

WHY BET THE TEXAS-RIO GRANDE VALLEY VAQUEROS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-70 in favor of the Vaqueros.
• Not only will Texas-Rio Grande Valley pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +2.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 149.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 145 points.

Do the Wildcats Have What it Takes to Win as Road Favorites?

Abilene Christian will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak when they take on Texas-Rio Grande Valley. The Wildcats are 8-15 overall and 3-9 in Western Athletic Conference play.

On the road, Abilene Christian is 3-9, and they have lost eight straight games away from home. Overall, they have been outscored by an average of 8.9 points per game on the road.

As the favorite this year, Abilene Christian has gone just 2-5 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Wildcats have a mark of 2-7-1 vs. the spread. On the road, they have gone just 4-5 ATS this season and are 0-3 vs. the spread in their last 3 road contests.

Abilene Christian’s over/under record for the season sits at 11-9-1, and today’s over/under line of 149.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games this season (145.6). So far, 12 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 131 points.

The Abilene Christian offense is coming off a game in which they scored 45 points vs. Utah Valley. Overall their field goal percentage was 24.1% while connecting on 3 threes. Ali Abdou Dibba led the scoring for the Wildcats, contributing 17 points. Additionally, Hunter-Jack Madden chipped in with 11 points.

At this time, the Wildcats’ defense is positioned 244th in the country, permitting 75.3 points per game. So far, the Abilene Christian defense is giving up an average of 8.9 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 12.7 times per game (647th).

Will the Vaqueros Win at UTRGV Fieldhouse?

After losing their last game to Stephen F. Austin by a score of 92-84, Texas-Rio Grande Valley has now lost six straight games. Their record this season is 6-17, and they are 2-10 in Western Athletic Conference games. On the road, the Vaqueros are 1-9, and they have gone 3-8 at home.

For the season, Texas-Rio Grande Valley has been the underdog in 19 of their 23 games. As the underdog, they have gone 3-16. At home, they have gone 1-1 when they are the favorite. So far, their average scoring margin at home is -7.7, and their average scoring margin on the road is -13.2.

As the underdog this season, Texas-Rio Grande Valley has gone 9-10 against the spread. At home, the Vaqueros have an ATS mark of 4-7. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, UTRGV is 5-5 vs. the spread.

So far this season, the over/under record for Texas-Rio Grande Valley sits at 11-10. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 153 points, which is slightly higher than their season average of 152 points per game. Currently, the average over/under line in their games is 151.7, and today’s line of 149.5 is lower than that. On the year, 12 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line.

Coming off their recent game, the Texas-Rio Grande Valley offense tallied 84 points in a matchup against Stephen F. Austin. Their field goal percentage for the game was 41.4%, and they made 8 threes. The team’s top scorer is Elijah Elliott, who comes into today’s matchup with an average of 15.9, while Hasan Abdul-Hakim also maintains a PPG average of 13.9 leading up to the game.

The Vaqueros’ defense is presently ranked 309th nationally, allowing an average of 79.8 points per contest. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Texas-Rio Grande Valley’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 43.2% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 28.2% this season.