Saturday, March 4, 2017

E. A. Diddle Arena

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The Rice Owls travel to E. A. Diddle Arena to play the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Saturday, March 4, 2017. The opening line for this game has Rice as 2 point favorites.

The Owls come into this game with an overall record of 21-9 and a road record of 9-4. They are 12-10 against the spread and their over/under record is 13-9. The Hilltoppers have an overall record of 14-16 and a home record of 10-3. They have an over/under record of 10-18 and they are 9-17 against the spread.

For expert handicapping advice on this matchup and other NCAA basketball games check out our handicapping tips.

Marcus Evans comes into this contest averaging 19.1 points per game while playing 32 minutes per night so far this season for the Owls. He pulls down 3.4 rebounds per game and dishes out 4 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 42% while his free throw percentage is currently at 78%. Egor Koulechov averages 18.6 points per game in 34.3 minutes per contest this season. He averages 2.1 assists per contest and 8.7 rebounds per game for Rice. His field goal percentage is 48% for the year while his free throw percentage is 79%.

Justin Johnson averages 14.2 points per game while playing 31.3 minutes per contest this year for the Hilltoppers. He grabs 9.1 rebounds per game and has 2.0 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 53% and his free throw percentage currently is at 53%. Pancake Thomas averages 14.0 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 34.7 minutes per contest. He also averages 3.4 rebounds per contest and 2.6 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 42% and his free throw percentage is 80%.

Rice averages 81.8 points per contest this season which ranks them 23rd in the nation. Their average scoring margin is 6.9 and their shooting percentage is 47% as a team which has them ranked 75th. Behind the arc they shoot 39% which is good for 38th in the country. They average 38.4 rebounds per game and 13.8 assists per game which ranks them 52nd and 151st in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 28th with 15.0 per game. The Owls allow 75.0 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 245th in the nation. They also allow a 44% shooting percentage and a 33% average from behind the arc ranking them 166th and 98th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 34.5 rebounds a game which ranks 140th and they give up 13.1 assists per contest which puts them in 167th place in the country. They force 13.5 turnovers per game which ranks them 197th in Division 1.

Western Kentucky averages 69.3 points per game this year which ranks them 270th in Division 1 college basketball. Their average scoring margin is -3.2 and their shooting percentage is 44% as a team which has them sitting in the 203rd spot in the country. Behind the arc they shoot 36% which is good for 155th in the nation. They average 34.8 rebounds per game and 12.6 assists per contest which ranks them 235th and 243rd respectively. In the turnover department the Hilltoppers rank 254th with 12.3 per game. The Hilltoppers allow 72.5 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 187th in the country. They also allow a 46% shooting percentage and a 37% average from behind the arc ranking them 263rd and 288th in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 34.5 rebounds a game which ranks 138th and they give up 14.9 assists per contest which puts them in 299th place in the nation. The Hilltoppers force 10.8 turnovers per game which ranks them 21st in college basketball.

The Owls are 85th in the nation in offensive rating at 108.8. They assist on 50.6% of their shots, which ranks 224th in the country. In terms of pace they average 74.3 possessions per 40 minutes, which places them 25th among D-1 teams. They are 43rd in effective field goal percentage with 54%. As a team they are 34th in the country in true shooting percentage with 58% and they shoot 3 pointers on 41% of their shots. Rice turns the ball over an average of 17.7 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 8.3% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage of 52.7% places them 67th in Division 1 while their offensive rebound percentage is 29.4%.

The Hilltoppers are 217th in the nation in offensive rating at 102.4. They assist on 51.8% of their shots, which ranks 200th in the country. In terms of pace they average 67.7 possessions per 40 minutes, which places them 275th among D-1 teams. They are 204th in effective field goal percentage with 50%. As a team they are 216th in the country in true shooting percentage with 54% and they shoot 3 pointers on 35% of their shots. Western Kentucky turns the ball over an average of 16.1 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 6.6% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage of 50.2% places them 196th in Division 1 while their offensive rebound percentage is 26.9%.

Rice Owls Betting Trends

The Rice Owls are 12-10 against the spread

The Rice Owls are 13-9 against the over/under

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Betting Trends

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are 9-17 against the spread

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers are 10-18 against the over/under

Rice Owls Injuries

No key injuries to report

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Injuries

03/01/17 G Damari Parris Hand out for season
01/20/17 G Marko Stajkovski Personal has left team
01/20/17 G Marty Leahy Personal has left team

Tony's Pick: Take Western Kentucky +2

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