Furman Paladins vs Western Carolina Catamounts Prediction, 3/9/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Furman Paladins vs Western Carolina Catamounts

Date: Saturday, March 9, 2024

Location: Harrah's Cherokee Center in Asheville, NC

TV: ESPN+

The Western Carolina Catamounts (22-9) will try to defeat the Furman Paladins (16-15) at Harrah's Cherokee Center on Saturday.

The Furman Paladins played Mercer and walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 82-75 in their last contest. Furman ended the game with a 41.2% field goal percentage (28 of 68) and made 9 out of their 35 shots from beyond the perimeter. From the free throw line, the Paladins buried 10 of 13 attempts for a percentage of 76.9%. In relation to rebounding, they earned 38 with 18 of them being offensive. They also doled out 13 dimes for this contest as well as forcing the other team into 7 turnovers and having 3 steals. In regard to defense, Furman allowed the other team to go 55.2% from the field on 32 of 58 shooting. Mercer earned 16 dimes and had 6 steals in this contest. On top of that, Mercer grabbed 25 rebounds (4 offensive, 21 defensive), but didn't have a block. Mercer walked away from this one shooting 75.0% from the charity stripe by making 9 of their 12 shots. They knocked down 9 of 15 shots from distance. In regard to personal fouls, the Paladins ended up walking away with 12 and Mercer totaled 14 personal fouls.

JP Pegues is a guy who was a factor for the matchup. He notched 19 points on 7 of 14 shooting. He was on the court for 36 minutes and collected 4 rebounds. He shot 50.0% from the field and dished out 8 dimes.

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Furman heads into this game with a win-loss record of 16-15 on the season. They turn the ball over 12.1 times per game and as a team are committing 16.0 personal fouls every game. As a team, Furman is collecting 38.2 rebounds per contest and has accounted for 509 dimes on the year, which ranks 20th in D-1 in terms of passing. The Paladins are shooting 32.4% on 3-pointers (298 of 921) and 72.8% from the charity stripe. They currently have an average of 79.6 points per contest (51st in college hoops) while connecting on 44.6% from the field.

On the defensive end, the Paladins are able to force 11.9 turnovers per game and they draw 16.7 personal fouls. They rank 308th in Division 1 in giving up assists with 438 conceded so far this season. The Paladins defense is giving up an opponent FG percentage of 45.8% (881 of 1,923) and they concede 35.7 boards per game as a team. They relinquish 34.2% on 3-point shots while they are 286th in college hoops in opponents points per game (75.7).

When they last stepped on the court, the Western Carolina Catamounts went home victorious with a score of 82-63 against Chattanooga. When discussing rebounds, Western Carolina allowed Chattanooga to collect 28 in all (10 offensive). They shot 32.3% from three-point range by shooting 10 of 31 and finished the game at 13 out of 17 at the charity stripe (76.5%). The Catamounts allowed Chattanooga to convert 20 of 60 attempts from the floor which had them sitting at 33.3% for the matchup. When all was said and done, the Catamounts shot 29 for 60 from the field which had them shooting 48.3%. Pertaining to 3-pointers, Western Carolina converted 12 out of their 25 attempts (48.0%). They were able to make 12 of them for a percentage of 80.0%. Chattanooga was called for 12 fouls in this contest which got the Catamounts to the free throw line for 15 attempts. They also turned it over 6 times, while earning 3 steals for the contest. The Catamounts snagged 32 defensive rebounds and 10 offensive rebounds totaling 42 in this game.

Tre Jackson was important for the Catamounts for the contest. He recorded 20 points in his 31 minutes on the hardwood and earned 1 assist in this game. He knocked down 7 out of 13 in this game giving him a rate of 53.8%, and earned 4 rebounds.

Western Carolina has a mark of 22-9 for the campaign. On the offensive side of the court, the Catamounts are hitting on 45.8% from the floor, which ranks them 112th in college basketball. Western Carolina has totaled 2,383 pts so far this season (76.9 per contest) and they pull in 39.7 rebounds per contest. They are dishing out assists 11.5 times per game (310th in the country) and they are turning it over 10.2 times per contest. The Catamounts are committing 16.8 fouls per contest and they shoot 71.6% from the free throw line.

The Western Carolina defense concedes 32.6% on shots from beyond the perimeter (190 of 583) and their opposition knocks down 70.6% of their free throw shots. They surrender 8.8 dimes and 34.7 boards every game, which is 1st and 177th in Division 1. The Catamounts on the defensive side of the court are 82nd in the nation in PPG given up with 68.4. They are forcing 9.8 turnovers on a nightly basis and have allowed teams to shoot 40.6% from the floor (31st in Division 1).

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Furman

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