Furman Paladins vs Western Carolina Catamounts NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/1/25

Planning on watching today’s Paladins and Catamounts game? Catch the action at Ramsey Center in Cullowhee, NC, as the Catamounts hosts this showdown at 1:00 ET on ESPN+. Furman is favored by -9.5 in this Southern conference showdown. The game’s over/under is currently at 144.5 points.

FURMAN PALADINS VS WESTERN CAROLINA CATAMOUNTS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Western Carolina Catamounts +9.5

This game will be played at Ramsey Center at 1:00 ET on Wednesday, January 1st.

WHY BET THE WESTERN CAROLINA CATAMOUNTS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-70 in favor of the Catamounts.
• Not only will Western Carolina pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +9.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 144.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.

Can the Paladins Live Up to the Hype on the Road?

Furman Paladins Recent Game/Games

The Paladins improved to 9-1 on the season with a 77-63 road win over Harvard on Saturday. Furman entered the game as -2.5 favorites and covered the spread, while the total points of 140 narrowly went over the 139.5 O/U line.

Furman trailed 32-31 at halftime but turned things around in the 2nd half, outscoring Harvard 46-31 to secure the win.

Furman put up 77 points in their last game, shooting 51.9% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 61.1%. They connected on 60% of their two-point attempts and hit 41.7% from beyond the arc, going 10-for-24 from three-point range. At the free-throw line, they made 11 of 14 attempts, good for 78.6%.

PJay Smith Jr. led the way with 25 points, shooting 72.7% from the field and 71.4% from three, hitting 5 of 7 attempts. He also added 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Furman finished with 17 assists as a team, with Evan Nelson also contributing 5 assists to go along with his 11 points.

Furman’s defense held their opponent to just 63 points on 37% shooting from the field. They limited two-point attempts to 42%, with the other team making 14 of 33 shots.

From beyond the arc, Furman allowed 8 threes on 25 attempts, a 32% success rate. The other team also went 11/12 from the free-throw line, shooting 91%. Furman gave up 11 offensive rebounds.

Will the Western Carolina Defense Show Up at Home?

Western Carolina Catamounts Recent Game/Games

Western Carolina fell to 1-7 on the season after an 84-36 road loss to Tennessee on Tuesday. The Catamounts, who were +36.5 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 120 fell short of the 142.5 O/U line.

Trailing 38-15 at halftime, Western Carolina managed just 21 points in the 2nd half while allowing 46 points to Tennessee.

Western Carolina’s offense struggled mightily in their last game, putting up just 36 points on 21.9% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was a mere 26.6%, and they connected on only 15.4% of their three-point attempts, hitting 6 of 39 from deep.

Chaz Lanier led the way with 19 points, shooting 42.1% overall and 42.9% from three-point range. He also contributed 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Jordan Gainey added 17 points, shooting 75% from the field and 50% from beyond the arc.

Despite Western Carolina’s defensive struggles, they still managed to put up 84 points in their last game. The Catamounts shot 46% from the field, converting 32 of their 69 attempts. Inside the arc, they were particularly effective, hitting 57% of their two-point shots, going 24/42.

From three-point range, Western Carolina went 8/27, shooting 29%. They also got to the free-throw line 14 times, making 12 of those attempts for an 85% success rate. On the offensive glass, they grabbed 14 rebounds.