Pepperdine Waves vs Colorado Buffaloes Prediction, 12/3/2023 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Pepperdine Waves vs Colorado Buffaloes

Date: Sunday, December 3, 2023

Location: CU Events Center in Boulder, CO

TV: PAC12

CU Events Center is the location where the Colorado Buffaloes (5-2) will try to beat the Pepperdine Waves (4-5) on Sunday.

The Pepperdine Waves stepped onto the hardwood against Idaho State and notched a win by a score of 77-62 in their last contest. Pepperdine ended with a 53.2% FG percentage (33 of 62) and converted 5 of their 12 shots from distance. From the free throw line, the Waves made 6 of their 7 shots for a rate of 85.7%. Concerning hauling in rebounds, they earned a total of 28 with 8 of them being of the offensive variety. They also doled out 21 dimes for the game as well as forcing the other team into 14 turnovers and earning 10 steals. In reference to defending, Pepperdine allowed their opponent to shoot 44.4% from the field on 24 out of 54 shooting. Idaho State dished out 8 dimes and had 3 steals for this game. Additionally, Idaho State pulled down 26 boards (7 offensive, 19 defensive), but wrapped up the game with no rejections. Idaho State finished 100.0% from the charity stripe by knocking down 9 of their 9 tries. They also made 5 out of their 17 attempts from beyond the arc. When discussing personal fouls, the Waves finished with 11 and Idaho State accounted for 13 personal fouls.

Michael Ajayi is a guy who was a major contributor in this contest. He shot 80.0% from the field and also distributed 5 assists. He saw the court for 34 minutes played and also collected 10 rebounds. He was able to score 25 points on 12 out of 15 shooting.

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Pepperdine will play this game with a record of 4-5 this season. They are giving up possession 13.2 times per game and as a group they commit 17.6 fouls per game. As a unit, Pepperdine is pulling in 34.0 boards per contest and has 126 dimes for the season, which is 31st in Division 1 in terms of passing. The Waves are shooting 38.5% on shots from beyond the arc (60 of 156) and 73.5% from the free throw line. They have an average of 75.1 pts per game (191st in Division 1) while going 46.7% from the floor.

On the defensive end, the Waves are forcing their opponents into 13.2 turnovers per contest and they draw 18.1 personal fouls. They are 325th in Division 1 in allowing assists with 111 conceded so far this year. The Waves defensively are giving up an opponent FG percentage of 48.8% (234 of 480) and they relinquish 30.0 rebounds per game as a team. They are giving up 36.8% on shots from distance and they rank 200th in the country in points per game from their opponents (72.1).

When they last stepped on the court, the Colorado Buffaloes went home defeated by a final of 88-83 when they played Colorado State. When it comes to how they cleaned up the glass, Colorado permitted Colorado State to pull down 20 in all (5 on the offensive side). They finished 40.9% from three-point range by hitting 9 out of 22 and walked away from this one shooting 25 out of 31 at the free throw line (80.6%). The Buffaloes permitted Colorado State to make 27 of their 53 attempts from the floor which gave them a percentage of 50.9% in this matchup. In all, the Buffaloes ended up shooting 30 out of 55 from the field which gave them a percentage of 54.5%. When it comes to shots from distance, Colorado knocked down 4 of 14 tries (28.6%). They were able to make 19 of them for a percentage of 90.5%. Colorado State committed 19 fouls in this game which got the Buffaloes to the free throw line for 21 shots. They turned the ball over 13 times, while getting 4 steals for the game. The Buffaloes pulled down 23 defensive boards and 9 offensive boards for a total of 32 in the game.

KJ Simpson was important for the Buffaloes in this matchup. He tallied 30 points in his 35 mins on the hardwood and added 4 assists for this game. He made 9 of 13 for this contest giving him a rate of 69.2%, and had 3 rebounds.

Colorado has a record of 5-2 this year. The Buffaloes are committing 16.3 personal fouls every game while shooting 78.7% from the free throw line. Their rate of dishing out assists is at 17.1 times per contest (38th in Division 1) and they are turning it over 14.1 times per game. Colorado has scored 579 points on the season (82.7 per contest) and they snag 37.9 rebounds per game. As an offensive unit, the Buffaloes are connecting on 50.9% from the field, which is 18th in D-1.

The Buffaloes are ranked 164th in the nation in PPG allowed with 70.1. They have forced 12.7 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 42.1% from the field (168th in the country). The Colorado defense allows 33.3% on shots from behind the 3-point line (52 of 156) and their opposition knocks down 73.6% of their free throw attempts. They give up 9.0 dimes and 28.1 rebounds per game, which ranks them 18th and 5th in college basketball.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Pepperdine

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