Valparaiso Beacons vs Belmont Bruins Prediction, 12/2/2023 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Valparaiso Beacons vs Belmont Bruins

Date: Saturday, December 2, 2023

Location: Curb Event Center Arena in Nashville, TN

TV: ESPN+

The Valparaiso Beacons (4-3) are traveling to Curb Event Center Arena on Saturday where they will try to defeat the Belmont Bruins (5-3).

The Valparaiso Beacons faced Drake and took a loss by a final of 83-65 in their last contest. When it comes to fouls, the Beacons walked away with 21 and Drake totaled 20 fouls. They also buried 6 out of their 23 attempts from beyond the arc. Drake went 73.1% from the charity stripe by burying 19 of their 26 shots. Additionally, Drake collected 35 boards (6 offensive, 29 defensive), but didn't have a block. Drake distributed 17 dimes and had 5 steals for the contest. With respect to defense, Valparaiso allowed the other team to go 50.0% from the field on 29 of 58 shooting. They also dished out 13 assists in the matchup in addition to forcing the opposition into 6 turnovers and having 4 steals. When it comes to hauling in rebounds, they earned a total of 33 with 9 of them being of the offensive sort. From the free throw line, the Beacons converted 8 of 17 attempts for a rate of 47.1%. Valparaiso ended having earned a 40.7% FG percentage (24 out of 59) and buried 9 of their 22 3-pointers.

Isaiah Stafford is one player who was a major contributor for the game. He left the arena with 20 points on 6 out of 17 shooting. He was on the hardwood for 35 mins and also grabbed 7 boards. He finished the game at 35.3% from the field and also recorded 2 assists.

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Valparaiso will enter this contest with a win-loss mark of 4-3 for the year. They turn it over 10.6 times per contest and as a unit they commit 15.7 fouls per contest. As a unit, Valparaiso is pulling down 38.9 rebounds per game and has tallied 83 dimes for the season, which ranks 249th in the country in terms of passing the ball. The Beacons are hitting 32.7% on shots beyond the perimeter (48 of 147) and 68.7% from the charity stripe. They average 70.4 pts per contest (271st in D-1) while hitting 39.3% from the field.

On the defensive end, the Beacons have forced 13.6 turnovers per game while drawing 19.3 fouls. They are 198th in college basketball in giving up assists with 88 relinquished this year. The Beacons defense is giving up a FG percentage of 41.6% (181 of 435) and they surrender 41.6 rebounds per game as a squad. They surrender 26.5% from beyond the arc and they are 139th in college hoops in PPG allowed (68.7).

For their last game, the Belmont Bruins took home the win by a final score of 90-70 against UNI. Regarding how they attacked the glass, Belmont allowed UNI to snag 24 in total (3 offensive). They finished 30.8% from 3-point land by shooting 8 of 26 and walked away from this one shooting 6 out of 10 at the free throw line (60.0%). The Bruins allowed UNI to convert 28 of 63 tries from the field which left them with a shooting percentage of 44.4% for the matchup. When all was said and done, the Bruins shot 30 for 57 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 52.6%. In reference to shooting from beyond the arc, Belmont made 11 of their 22 tries (50.0%). They were able to bury 19 of them for a clip of 86.4%. UNI had 16 personal fouls in the game which got the Bruins to the free throw line for a total of 22 tries. They also gave up possession of the ball 11 times, while getting 5 steals for the game. The Bruins were able to corral 29 defensive boards and 5 offensive boards for a total of 34 for the matchup.

Cade Tyson was important for the Bruins in this matchup. He scored 22 points in his 36 minutes on the court, but wasn't able to get an assist. He made 8 out of 13 in this game for a field goal percentage of 61.5%, and added 8 rebounds.

Belmont has a mark of 5-3 for the year. In terms of offensive execution, the Bruins are hitting on 49.1% from the floor, which ranks them 41st in D-1. Belmont has tallied 663 pts this season (82.9 per contest) and they grab 34.9 rebounds per contest. They are dishing out assists 15.4 times per contest (78th in college hoops) and they turn it over 13.3 times per game. The Bruins have committed 15.9 personal fouls every game and they hit 68.4% from the free throw line.

The Bruins on the defensive side of the court are 346th in D-1 in points given up per game with 82.0. They are forcing 12.3 turnovers per game and allow teams to shoot 46.3% from the floor (302nd in college basketball). The Belmont defense surrenders 33.0% on shots from distance (65 of 197) and their opponents are making 67.8% of their free throw attempts. They have relinquished 15.9 assists and 37.8 rebounds every game, which ranks them 333rd and 287th in college basketball.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Belmont

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