Southern Utah Thunderbirds vs Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks Betting Pick & Prediction 3/7/24

Looking to win big? The Thunderbirds and Lumberjacks face off at 7:30 ET on ESPN+. The Lumberjacks are hosting the game at Johnson Coliseum in Nacogdoches, TX. This Western Athletic conference matchup has an over/under of 148 points, and Stephen F. Austin is favored to win by -6.5 at home vs. Southern Utah.

SOUTHERN UTAH THUNDERBIRDS VS STEPHEN F. AUSTIN LUMBERJACKS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Southern Utah Thunderbirds +6.5

This game will be played at Johnson Coliseum at 7:30 ET on Thursday, March 7th.

WHY BET THE SOUTHERN UTAH THUNDERBIRDS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 73-72 in favor of the Lumberjacks.
• Even though we have Stephen F. Austin winning straight-up, we like Southern Utah at +6.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 148 points, and we like the under with a projected 145 points.

Can Southern Utah Secure a Road Victory?

Heading into their matchup with Stephen F. Austin, Southern Utah has lost seven straight games, including their most recent game against Tarleton State, 88-83. On the road, the Thunderbirds have gone just 3-12 this season, and their average scoring margin is -5.0.

Overall, Southern Utah has a record of 9-20, including a 4-14 mark in Western Athletic Conference play. They are 3-16 when considered the underdog this season, and they have gone 2-3 in their last five road games.

As the underdog this season, Southern Utah has an ATS mark of 13-6. Their road ATS record this year is 11-4 and over their last 10 road games, the Thunderbirds are 7-3 vs. the spread.

This season, the over/under record for Southern Utah games is 15-12. So far, the average over/under line in their games is 148.7 and their matchups have averaged 152 points. Today’s over/under line of 148 is similar to the average over/under line in their games. In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 with an average of 163 points compared to their season average of 152 points per game.

The Southern Utah offense is coming off a game where they scored 83 points against Tarleton State. They posted a field goal percentage of 49.1% and connected on 9 threes. Offensively, the Thunderbirds hold a season-long field goal percentage of 44%, placing them 225th in the national rankings. When it comes to three-pointers, they are ranked 375th in terms of percentage and 300th in three-pointers made.

Looking at the Southern Utah defense, they will be looking for a better performance considering they are currently conceding 77.9 points per game (306th). Southern Utah’s three-point defense is currently 25th in the country at 5.5 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 46.3% of their shots vs. Southern Utah.

Is A Home Victory Likely for the Favored Lumberjacks?

Stephen F. Austin comes into this game with a record of 15-14, and they have lost five straight games. Their record in the Western Athletic Conference is 7-10, compared to an 8-4 record in non-conference games.

At home, the Lumberjacks have gone 8-6 this season, and they are coming off an 80-58 loss to Grand Canyon. Over their last 10 games at home, they have gone 7-3.

Stephen F. Austin has struggled against the spread this season, going just 6-20. Their home ATS record is 4-10 this year and they are just 2-8 vs. the spread as the favorite. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Lumberjacks are just 2-8 ATS.

Stephen F. Austin’s over/under record this season sits at 13-13, and today’s line of 148 is higher than the average OU line in their games (145.3). So far, 11 of their contests have finished with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 130 points.

Against Grand Canyon, the Stephen F. Austin had a tough time putting up points compared to their season average of 74.3 points per game. They scored 58 points and posted a field goal percentage of 35.4% in the game. Leading the team in scoring was Latrell Jossell with 18 points. Frank Staine also added 14 points for the Lumberjacks.

At present, the Lumberjacks’ defense is nationally ranked 136th, allowing 70.9 points per game. So far, the Stephen F. Austin defense is giving up an average of 8.7 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 15.6 times per game (716th).