SIUE Cougars vs Little Rock Trojans NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/19/24
Looking to win big? The Cougars and Trojans face off at 8:00 ET on ESPN+. The Trojans are hosting the game at Jack Stephens Center in Little Rock, AR. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 138.5 points, and Little Rock is favored by -4 to win at home against SIUE.
SIUE COUGARS VS LITTLE ROCK TROJANS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Little Rock Trojans -4
This game will be played at Jack Stephens Center at 8:00 ET on Thursday, December 19th.
WHY BET THE LITTLE ROCK TROJANS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-71 in favor of the Trojans.
- Not only will Little Rock pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -4.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 138.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 148 points.
Does SIUE Have a Shot at a Road Win?
SIUE Cougars Recent Game/Games
SIUE improved to 4-4 on the season with an 82-69 win over Ball State on Sunday. Playing at home, the Cougars entered the game as 3-point favorites and covered the spread. The total points for the game reached 151, surpassing the O/U line of 137.
After trailing 41-39 at halftime, SIUE turned things around in the 2nd half, scoring 43 points while holding Ball State to just 28.
SIUE’s offense put up 82 points in their last game, shooting 49.1% from the field and 45.8% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 59.6%, with 11 made threes on 24 attempts. They also connected on 71.4% of their free throws, hitting 15 of 21 from the line.
Ray’Sean Taylor led the way with 27 points, hitting 7 threes at a 46.7% clip. Ring Malith added 24 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 53.8% overall. Juanse Gorosito contributed 17 points, knocking down 5 of 9 from deep, while Ben Hendriks was perfect from the field, hitting all 5 of his shots.
Even with SIUE’s defense giving up 69 points, they struggled to contain their opponent, who shot 49% from the field. This included 51% shooting from two-point range, with 17 made baskets out of 33 attempts.
From beyond the arc, SIUE allowed 11 threes on 24 attempts, a 45% shooting performance. Their opponent also went to the line 21 times, converting 15 free throws for a 71% success rate. SIUE gave up 13 offensive rebounds in the game.
Can the Trojans Pull Off a Home Win?
Little Rock Trojans Recent Game/Games
Little Rock fell to 4-5 on the season after a 77-69 home loss to UIC on Sunday. The Trojans, who were -2 favorites, not only lost the game but also failed to cover the spread.
Leading 32-30 at halftime, Little Rock scored 32 points in the 2nd half but allowed 34. The game’s total points of 146 just edged over the 145.5 O/U line.
Little Rock put up 69 points in their last game, shooting 41% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 45.9%. They hit 31.6% of their threes (6/19) and 45.2% from two-point range (19/42), while struggling at the free-throw line, making just 54.2% (13/24).
Johnathan Lawson led the way with 25 points and 8 rebounds, shooting 47.4% overall and 40% from three. Sasa Ciani and Filip Skobalj each added 15 points, with Skobalj hitting 5 threes at a 45.5% clip. The Trojans grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and dished out 15 assists in the game.
Little Rock’s defense gave up 77 points, allowing their opponent to shoot 41% from the field on 25 of 61 attempts. Inside the arc, they conceded 19 two-point baskets on 42 attempts, a 45% shooting rate.
From three-point range, Little Rock’s defense held their opponent to 6 of 19 shooting, or 31%. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 24 times, where they made 13, shooting 54%.