Austin Peay Governors vs Southern Illinois Salukis Prediction, 12/12/2023 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Austin Peay Governors vs Southern Illinois Salukis

Date: Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Location: Banterra Center in Carbondale, IL

TV: ESPN+

The Southern Illinois Salukis (6-2) are hosting the Austin Peay Governors (5-6) at Banterra Center on Tuesday.

The Austin Peay Governors played Murray State and took home the win by a score of 53-49 in their last contest. Austin Peay finished with a 33.9% field goal percentage (20 of 59) and buried 5 of their 21 shots from beyond the perimeter. At the charity stripe, the Governors converted 8 of 10 shots for a percentage of 80.0%. In relation to rebounding, they compiled 34 with 11 of them being of the offensive variety. They also dished out 6 assists for this contest in addition to forcing 10 turnovers and getting 4 steals. With respect to the defense, Austin Peay let their opponent shoot 37.3% from the field on 19 of 51 shooting. Murray State earned 11 assists and had 1 steal in this matchup. On top of that, Murray State pulled down 34 rebounds (6 offensive, 28 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Murray State ended up going 50.0% when shooting free throws by converting 4 of 8 attempts. They buried 7 out of their 25 shots from three-point range. Concerning personal fouls, the Governors left the arena with 9 and Murray State recorded 14 personal fouls.

Demarcus Sharp is one guy who was a major contributor in the game. He recorded 20 points on 8 out of 23 shooting. He played 40 minutes played and grabbed 9 rebounds. He finished the contest at 34.8% from the floor and recorded 4 assists.

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Austin Peay heads into this game with a win-loss record of 5-6 for the campaign. They average 66.7 points per outing (320th in college hoops) while hitting 41.8% from the field. The Governors are shooting 34.2% on shots beyond the perimeter (82 of 240) and 67.9% from the free throw line. As a team, Austin Peay is pulling in 35.2 boards per game and has racked up 116 dimes so far this season, which is 235th in the country in terms of passing the rock. They turn it over 10.6 times per game and as a group they commit 17.5 personal fouls per contest.

On the defensive end, the Governors are forcing 14.2 turnovers per game and they draw 14.3 fouls. They are giving up 26.4% on 3-pointers and they are ranked 36th in college basketball in points per game allowed (63.6). The Governors defense is allowing a shooting percentage of 42.4% (247 of 582) and they surrender 35.1 boards per game as a team. They are 283rd in college hoops in giving up assists to the opposition with 136 conceded on the campaign.

When they last stepped on the hardwood, the Southern Illinois Salukis walked away with a victory by a final of 70-68 against Oklahoma State. When talking about team rebounding, Southern Illinois permitted Oklahoma State to grab 37 in total (15 offensive). They went 30.4% from beyond the arc by hitting 7 out of 23 and ended up shooting 9 of 11 at the free throw line (81.8%). The Salukis allowed Oklahoma State to convert 26 of 66 tries from the field which gave them a percentage of 39.4% for the matchup. When the final whistle was blown, the Salukis finished the game shooting 23 out of 49 from the field which gave them a rate of 46.9%. With respect to shots from 3-point land, Southern Illinois knocked down 7 out of their 15 attempts (46.7%). They were able to make 17 of the free throw tries for a rate of 77.3%. Oklahoma State had 18 personal fouls in the matchup which got the Salukis to the charity stripe for 22 attempts. They turned it over 9 times, while earning 6 steals in this contest. The Salukis were able to pull down 18 defensive boards and 4 offensive rebounds for a total of 22 in this contest.

Xavier Johnson was important for the Salukis for this contest. He totaled 32 points in his 36 minutes on the court and earned 5 assists for the contest. He converted 9 of 22 in the matchup for a field goal rate of 40.9%, and tallied 3 rebounds.

Southern Illinois has a record of 6-2 on the year. The Salukis commit 19.5 fouls every game and they connect on 72.1% from the free throw line. They are earning an assist 15.3 times per contest (84th in college basketball) and they turn the ball over 10.9 times per contest. Southern Illinois has accumulated 626 points this year (78.3 per game) and they average 32.8 boards per game. As an offense, the Salukis are hitting on 47.8% from the field, which ranks them 61st in D-1.

The Salukis defensively are ranked 59th in the country in PPG given up with 65.4. They have forced 13.1 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 42.6% from the field (187th in D-1). The Southern Illinois defense gives up 27.0% from downtown (37 of 137) and opponents are making 68.7% of their free throw shots. They have conceded 9.5 dimes and 32.9 rebounds per game, which has them ranked 23rd and 91st in college basketball.

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Austin Peay

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