FIU Panthers vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Prediction, 1/25/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: FIU Panthers vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Date: Thursday, January 25, 2024

Location: E. A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, KY

TV: ESPN+

E. A. Diddle Arena is the location where the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (13-6) will take on the FIU Panthers (7-12) on Thursday.

The FIU Panthers stepped onto the hardwood against Liberty and went home with a loss by a final score of 78-69 in their last game. FIU ended the game with a 47.5% FG percentage (29 out of 61) and buried 9 of their 26 three-point shots. At the free throw line, the Panthers made 2 of their 4 attempts for a rate of 50.0%. In reference to rebounding, they compiled 28 with 7 of them being offensive. They also recorded 12 dimes for the matchup while forcing the other team into 11 turnovers and getting 8 steals. In reference to defending, FIU let their opponent shoot 46.6% from the floor on 27 of 58 shooting. Liberty dished out 26 assists and had 2 steals for the matchup. On top of that, Liberty pulled down 34 rebounds (14 offensive, 20 defensive), but wasn't able to record a block. Liberty finished the game at 61.5% from the free throw line by making 8 of their 13 attempts. They also knocked down 16 out of their 33 tries from three-point range. In regard to fouls, the Panthers left the arena with 13 while Liberty totaled 5 fouls.

Javaunte Hawkins is a player who was a major contributor in the matchup. He finished shooting 52.9% from the floor and also totaled 2 assists. He saw the court for 34 minutes played and grabbed 3 boards. He ended up scoring 24 points on 9 out of 17 shooting.

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FIU comes into this contest with a record of 7-12 for the campaign. They have an average of 76.3 pts per game (134th in the nation) while hitting 45.2% from the field. The Panthers are connecting on 34.2% on shots from 3-point land (163 of 477) and 65.7% from the free throw line. As a unit, FIU is grabbing 32.9 boards per game and has tallied 292 assists for the campaign, which is 66th in D-1 in terms of passing the ball. They are turning it over 14.6 times per game and as a basketball team they commit 18.8 fouls on a nightly basis.

When they are on defense, the Panthers are forcing their opponents into 18.5 turnovers per game and they draw 16.6 fouls. They are ranked 338th in college basketball in giving up assists to the opposition with 290 surrendered on the season. The Panthers are allowing an opponent shooting percentage of 47.1% (498 of 1,058) and they surrender 37.4 rebounds per game as a unit. They concede 37.1% on shots from beyond the perimeter while they are 283rd in the country in PPG allowed (75.7).

The last time they took the court, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 93-87 against UTEP. Regarding how they rebounded, Western Kentucky allowed UTEP to pull down 33 in all (12 offensive). They went 35.0% from 3-point land by shooting 7 out of 20 and walked away from this one shooting 24 of 29 at the free throw line (82.8%). The Hilltoppers allowed UTEP to convert 31 of their 67 attempts from the floor which had them shooting 46.3% in this matchup. In all, the Hilltoppers finished the game shooting 39 out of 63 from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 61.9%. In reference to shooting from distance, Western Kentucky converted 4 of 12 attempts (33.3%). They were able to knock down 5 of those for a rate of 41.7%. UTEP had 14 fouls for the game which got the Hilltoppers to the free throw line for a total of 12 shots. They also gave up possession of the ball 19 times, while earning 8 steals in this game. The Hilltoppers corralled 24 defensive boards and 4 offensive rebounds for a total of 28 in this contest.

Don McHenry ended up being important for the Hilltoppers in this contest. He earned 18 points in his 33 minutes on the court and had 5 assists in the game. He buried 8 out of 15 in the game giving him a field goal percentage of 53.3%, and had 3 rebounds.

Western Kentucky has a mark of 13-6 on the year. As an offense, the Hilltoppers are hitting on 45.8% from the field, which is 133rd in the nation. Western Kentucky has totaled 1,506 pts for the season (79.3 per contest) and they collect 40.6 boards per game. They are earning an assist 13.4 times per game (181st in the nation) and they cough up possession 14.2 times per game. The Hilltoppers have committed 19.2 personal fouls per game and they go 67.8% from the charity stripe.

The Western Kentucky defense surrenders 29.5% from downtown (137 of 464) and opponents are knocking down 71.0% of their free throw attempts. They concede 13.2 assists and 37.5 boards per game, which has them ranked 210th and 302nd in college hoops. The Hilltoppers on the defensive side of the court are 251st in D-1 in points given up per game with 74.3. They are able to force 14.7 turnovers on a nightly basis and have let teams shoot 41.2% from the floor (73rd in D-1).

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Western Kentucky

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