Jacksonville State Gamecocks vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Prediction, 1/13/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Jacksonville State Gamecocks vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Date: Saturday, January 13, 2024

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

TV: ESPN+

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (12-4) will try to beat the Jacksonville State Gamecocks (10-7) at E. A. Diddle Arena on Saturday.

The Jacksonville State Gamecocks stepped onto the hardwood against Liberty and notched a win by a score of 61-51 in their last game. Jacksonville State ended the game having earned a 43.1% FG percentage (22 out of 51) and knocked down 3 out of their 11 3-point attempts. At the free throw line, the Gamecocks converted 14 of 15 tries for a percentage of 93.3%. With respect to rebounding, they compiled 33 with 7 of them being offensive. They also dished out 7 assists in this game while forcing the opposition into 12 turnovers and earning 7 steals. When talking about defense, Jacksonville State allowed their opponent to shoot 34.0% from the field on 18 out of 53 shooting. Liberty totaled 11 assists and had 6 steals in this contest. Moreover, Liberty collected 27 rebounds (7 offensive, 20 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. Liberty shot 54.5% from the free throw line by making 6 of their 11 attempts. They also buried 9 of 34 attempts from 3-point land. When discussing fouls, the Gamecocks finished with 11 and Liberty had 11 fouls.

Kyky Tandy is someone who was a major contributor in the game. He finished shooting 37.5% from the floor but finished the game without a dime. He played 35 minutes and grabbed 6 rebounds. He finished with 14 points on 3 of 8 shooting.

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Jacksonville State will play this game with a record of 10-7 on the year. They are losing possession via turnover 13.5 times per game and as a unit they commit 15.4 personal fouls on a nightly basis. As a team, Jacksonville State is snagging 38.5 boards per game and has totaled 198 dimes so far this year, which ranks 233rd in Division 1 in terms of passing. The Gamecocks are hitting 33.6% on shots from beyond the arc (97 of 289) and 72.9% from the charity stripe. They are averaging 71.8 points per outing (261st in Division 1) while hitting 46.4% from the field.

When they are on the defensive end, the Gamecocks are forcing 13.0 turnovers per game while drawing 17.1 fouls. They rank 49th in the nation in giving up assists with 165 surrendered on the season. The Gamecocks are allowing and opponent field goal percentage of 40.2% (375 of 932) and they surrender 30.9 rebounds per game as a group. They give up 28.3% on shots from beyond the arc and they are 11th in college hoops in points per game allowed (61.8).

When they last stepped on the court, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers took a loss by a final score of 78-74 when they faced Sam Houston State. In reference to how they cleaned up the glass, Western Kentucky allowed Sam Houston State to grab 32 overall (9 on the offensive glass). They finished the game shooting 38.1% from three-point range by connecting on 8 of 21 and finished the contest at 14 out of 20 at the charity stripe (70.0%). The Hilltoppers permitted Sam Houston State to knock down 28 of 62 tries from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 45.2% in this game. In all, the Hilltoppers shot 28 for 62 from the floor which gave them a rate of 45.2%. With regard to three-point shots, Western Kentucky buried 10 of their 22 tries (45.5%). They were able to convert 8 of the free throw attempts for a clip of 66.7%. Sam Houston State committed 15 fouls for the matchup which took the Hilltoppers to the charity stripe for a total of 12 tries. They gave up possession of the ball 15 times, while recording 10 steals for the matchup. The Hilltoppers collected 24 defensive rebounds and 7 offensive rebounds totaling 31 for the game.

Don McHenry ended up having an impact for the Hilltoppers in this game. He accumulated 15 points in his 33 mins of playing time and added 1 assist in this game. He buried 5 out of 16 in this game for a field goal rate of 31.3%, and accumulated 2 rebounds.

Western Kentucky has a mark of 12-4 for the campaign. When it comes to offensive execution, the Hilltoppers are hitting on 44.8% from the floor, which is 183rd in college hoops. Western Kentucky has scored 1,269 pts this year (79.3 per contest) and they collect 41.4 boards per contest. They are assisting teammates 12.9 times per game (233rd in the nation) and they are turning it over 13.5 times per contest. The Hilltoppers commit 19.4 fouls per game while shooting 68.2% from the free throw line.

The Hilltoppers defensively are ranked 238th in college basketball in points allowed per contest with 73.6. They have forced 15.1 TO's per game and have let teams shoot 40.8% from the field (80th in Division 1). The Western Kentucky defense allows 28.1% on 3-point shots (112 of 399) and their opponents are making 71.1% of their foul shots. They allow 13.4 assists and 38.8 boards per contest, which has them ranked 227th and 327th in college basketball.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Jacksonville State

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