Thursday, January 28, 2016

E. A. Diddle Arena

For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here

The UAB Blazers travel to E. A. Diddle Arena to play the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Thursday, January 28, 2016. The opening line for this game has UAB as 2.5 point favorites and the over/under has been set at 140.

The Blazers come into this game with an overall record of 17-3 and a road record of 5-1. They are 9-6 against the spread and their over/under record is 6-9. The Hilltoppers have an overall record of 10-10 and a home record of 8-1. They have an over/under record of 10-6 and they are 7-9 against the spread.

Chris Cokley comes into this contest averaging 14.1 points per game while playing 22.3 minutes per night so far this season for the Blazers. He pulls down 6.6 rebounds per game and dishes out 1.1 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 59% while his free throw percentage is currently at 68%. Robert Brown averages 13.1 points per game in 29.6 minutes per contest this season. He averages 3.3 assists per contest and 2.9 rebounds per game for UAB. His field goal percentage is 44% for the year while his free throw percentage is 75%.

Justin Johnson averages 17 points per game while playing 29.1 minutes per contest this year for the Hilltoppers. He grabs 7.8 rebounds per game and has 1.4 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 63% and his free throw percentage currently is at 74%. Aaron Cosby averages 11 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 29.1 minutes per contest. He also averages 3.6 rebounds per contest and 2 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 32% and his free throw percentage is 82%.

UAB averages 77.1 points per contest this season which ranks them 76th in the nation. Their average scoring margin is 8.9 and their shooting percentage is 48% as a team which has them ranked 24th. Behind the arc they shoot 37% which is good for 69th in the country. They average 37.7 rebounds per game and 18.8 assists per game which ranks them 97th and 5th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 150th with 12.6 per game. The Blazers allow 68.2 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 86th in the nation. They also allow a 41% shooting percentage and a 30% average from behind the arc ranking them 72nd and 15th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 34.3 rebounds a game which ranks 90th and they give up 12.3 assists per contest which puts them in 108th place in the country. They force 12.3 turnovers per game which ranks them 221st in the Division 1.

Western Kentucky averages 75.1 points per game this year which ranks them 119th in Division 1 college basketball. Their average scoring margin is -3.1 and their shooting percentage is 46% as a team which has them sitting in the 76th spot in the country. Behind the arc they shoot 36% which is good for 123rd in the nation. They average 37.5 rebounds per game and 12.9 assists per contest which ranks them 106th and 191st respectively. In the turnover department the Hilltoppers rank 161st with 12.7 per game. The Hilltoppers allow 78.2 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 289th in the country. They also allow a 46% shooting percentage and a 39% average from behind the arc ranking them 284th and 322nd in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 34.3 rebounds a game which ranks 95th and they give up 15.6 assists per contest which puts them in 306th place in the nation. The Hilltoppers force 10.4 turnovers per game which ranks them 333rd in college basketball.

The Blazers average 73.4 points per game on the road this season and they have scored 78 ppg in their past 3 contests. They have an average scoring differential of 2.9 on the road and in their past 3 games their difference is 11.7 per contest. The Blazers have an offensive rating of 113.8 and they assist on 68.3% of their shots. In terms of pace they average 68.5 possessions per 40 minutes and their effective field goal percentage is 55%. As a team they have a true shooting percentage of 58% and they shoot 3 pointers on 34% of their shots. UAB turns the ball over an average of 15.9 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 9.1% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage is 53% while their offensive rebound percentage is 33.9%.

The Hilltoppers score 77.7 ppg at home and they have averaged 71.3 points per contest in their last 3 games.They have an average scoring differential of -6 in their past 3 contests and at home this season they have a difference of 4.4 points per game. The Hilltoppers have a rating on offense of 110.3 and 49% of their shots are assisted. They possess the ball 69 times per 40 minutes and their effective field goal percentage for the year is 52%. As an offensive unit they have a true shooting percentage of 55% and they attempt 3 pointers on 33% of their shots. Western Kentucky turns it over an average of 15.6 times per 100 possessions and they steal the ball on 6.4% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage is 53.1% while their offensive rebound percentage for the season is 35.4%.

UAB Blazers Betting Trends

The UAB Blazers are 9-6 against the spread

The UAB Blazers are 6-9 against the over/under

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Betting Trends

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are 7-9 against the spread

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are 10-6 against the over/under

UAB Blazers Injuries

No key injuries to report

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Injuries

12/19/15 C Nathan Smith ACL out for season
12/12/15 F Phabian Glasco Achilles out for season
01/27/16 G Chris Harrison-Docks Personal has left team

Josh's Pick: Take UAB

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