North Florida Ospreys vs Eastern Kentucky Colonels NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/9/25
The Ospreys and Colonels are set to face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Colonels will host the game at Baptist Health Arena in Richmond, KY. The odds for this Atlantic Sun conference game currently have Eastern Kentucky as the -2.5 point favorite with the over/under line sitting at 170.5 points.
NORTH FLORIDA OSPREYS VS EASTERN KENTUCKY COLONELS BETTING PICK
The Pick: North Florida Ospreys +2.5
This game will be played at Baptist Health Arena at 7:00 ET on Thursday, January 9th.
WHY BET THE NORTH FLORIDA OSPREYS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 74-73 in favor of the Colonels.
- Even though we have Eastern Kentucky winning straight-up, we like North Florida at +2.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 170.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 147 points.
No Pressure for North Florida as Away Dogs
North Florida dropped to 5-8 on the season after a 96-64 home loss to Lipscomb on Saturday. The Ospreys were +5.5 underdogs going into the game and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 160, just under the O/U line of 161.5.
North Florida trailed 51-33 at halftime and couldn’t mount a comeback, scoring only 31 points in the 2nd half while allowing 45.
North Florida struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 35.9% from the field and 22.6% from three-point range, finishing with 64 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 40.6%, and they hit 61.1% of their free throws.
Jacob Ognacevic led the team with 21 points, shooting 70% from the field, while Dylan Faulkner added 19 points on 63.6% shooting. Will Pruitt contributed 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists, despite shooting 20% from beyond the arc.
Despite giving up 96 points, North Florida’s defense held their opponent to just 35% shooting from the field. They limited two-point shooting to 48% (16/33) and were even more effective from beyond the arc, where their opponent shot just 22% (7/31).
From the free-throw line, North Florida’s opponent shot 61%, making 11 of 18 attempts. The Ospreys also gave up 11 offensive rebounds in the game.
Are Eastern Kentucky Ready for a Home Win?
Eastern Kentucky Colonels Recent Game/Games
The Colonels dropped to 5-8 on the season after an 88-67 loss to North Alabama on Saturday. Eastern Kentucky, who entered the game as +6 underdogs, failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game finished at 155, just over the pre-game O/U line of 153.5.
Eastern Kentucky found themselves in a deep hole early, trailing 50-29 at halftime. While they managed to score 38 points in the second half, they couldn’t make up ground, as they allowed North Alabama to match their 38 points in the final period.
Eastern Kentucky struggled offensively, shooting just 34.8% from the field and 18.5% from three-point range, hitting only 5 of 27 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 39.4%, but they excelled at the free-throw line, making 16 of 19 shots for 84.2%.
Will Soucie and Canin Jefferson each scored 18 points, with Soucie hitting 4 threes. Corneilous Williams and Devontae Blanton added 15 points each, with Williams grabbing 11 rebounds. Taye Fields also had a strong game, shooting 71.4% from the field with 14 rebounds and 7 assists.
Eastern Kentucky’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 88 points on 47% shooting from the field. The Colonels allowed their opponent to hit 56% of their two-point attempts, with 25 makes on 44 shots.
From beyond the arc, Eastern Kentucky’s defense held their opponent to 30% shooting, with 7 made threes on 23 attempts. However, they sent their opponent to the free-throw line 24 times, where they converted 17 for 70%. The Colonels also gave up 19 offensive rebounds.