Central Arkansas Bears vs Western Illinois Leathernecks NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/16/24
Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Bears versus the Leathernecks? Tip off is at at 2:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at Western Hall in Macomb, IL. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 142.5 points, and Western Illinois is favored by -7.5 at home against Central Arkansas.
CENTRAL ARKANSAS BEARS VS WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Central Arkansas Bears +7.5
This game will be played at Western Hall at 2:00 ET on Saturday, November 16th.
WHY BET THE CENTRAL ARKANSAS BEARS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-71 in favor of the Leathernecks.
- Even though we have Western Illinois winning straight-up, we like Central Arkansas at +7.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 142.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.
Are the Bears Ready for a Road Win?
Central Arkansas Bears Recent Game/Games
Central Arkansas faced a tough challenge on Thursday, November 7th, as they went on the road to take on the Utah Runnin’ Utes. The Bears were heavy underdogs, entering the game as +30 point underdogs, and they were unable to cover the spread in a 98-63 loss.
Central Arkansas struggled early, trailing 45-18 at halftime. Although they picked up their scoring in the 2nd half with 45 points, they also allowed 53 points to Utah. The game’s total points of 161 went over the pre-game O/U line of 149.
Central Arkansas struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 31.3% from the field and 27.5% from beyond the arc, connecting on 11 of 40 three-point attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 38.8%, and they managed 10 offensive rebounds, with 14 assists as a team.
Gabe Madsen led the way with 25 points, hitting 6 of 13 threes and shooting 56.2% overall. Layne Taylor and Mason Madsen each added 15 points, with Mason hitting 5 threes at a 41.7% rate. Mike Sharavjamts contributed 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists, despite shooting 30% from deep.
Central Arkansas struggled defensively, giving up 98 points on 46% shooting from the field. The Bears allowed 19 three-pointers on 50 attempts, a 38% success rate for their opponent.
From the free-throw line, Central Arkansas sent their opponent to the stripe 23 times, where they converted 19 free throws, good for 82%. The Bears also gave up 12 offensive rebounds.
Can the Leathernecks Hold Strong at Home?
Western Illinois Leathernecks Recent Game/Games
Western Illinois dropped their recent game to Green Bay, losing 87-73 at home on Wednesday, November 13th. The Leathernecks were -2.5 favorites but failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points reached 160, surpassing the O/U line of 143.5.
After trailing 47-26 at halftime, Western Illinois scored 47 points in the 2nd half while allowing 40, but their improved play wasn’t enough to overcome the deficit.
Western Illinois put up 73 points in their last game, shooting 43.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 50.8%. They hit 52.6% of their threes, going 10-for-19, but struggled from the free-throw line, making just 7 of 18 attempts (38.9%).
Anthony Roy led the way with 35 points, shooting 73.3% overall and 66.7% from deep (8/12). Ryan Myers added 26 points, hitting 5 of 6 threes (83.3%). The Leathernecks had just 2 assists as a team, but grabbed 17 offensive rebounds.
Western Illinois struggled defensively, giving up 87 points while allowing their opponent to shoot 43% from the field. They did manage to hold them to 39% on two-point attempts, with the other team making 18 of 46 shots.
However, the Leathernecks had trouble defending the three-point line, where their opponent shot 52%, hitting 10 of 19 threes. Western Illinois also sent them to the free-throw line 18 times, where they made 7 free throws.