UIC Flames vs Belmont Bruins Prediction, 1/27/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UIC Flames vs Belmont Bruins

Date: Saturday, January 27, 2024

Location: Curb Event Center Arena in Nashville, TN

TV: ESPN+

The UIC Flames (8-12) are hitting the road to Curb Event Center Arena on Saturday where they will try to defeat the Belmont Bruins (11-9).

The UIC Flames faced Indiana State and ended up losing by a score of 89-83 in their last game. When discussing fouls, the Flames ended up with 16 while Indiana State had 16 fouls. They knocked down 11 of 33 attempts from long range. Indiana State ended up going 85.7% at the free throw line by knocking down 18 of their 21 attempts. Additionally, Indiana State grabbed 30 rebounds (5 offensive, 25 defensive), but didn't have a block. Indiana State recorded 21 dimes and had 6 steals in this game. In regard to the defense, UIC allowed the other team to go 53.6% from the field on 30 of 56 shooting. They also doled out 15 dimes in this matchup while forcing the other team into 12 turnovers and getting 6 steals. When it comes to grabbing boards, they collected a total of 26 with 7 of them being offensive. At the free throw line, the Flames buried 10 of 14 tries for a rate of 71.4%. UIC wrapped up the game with a 47.7% field goal percentage (31 out of 65) and made 11 of their 26 shots from distance.

Isaiah Rivera is one guy who had an impact in the matchup. He went 56.3% from the field and dished out 2 assists. He played for 35 minutes and also totaled 4 boards. He left the arena with 24 points on 9 of 16 shooting.

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UIC will enter this game with a win-loss record of 8-12 on the year. They cough up possession 11.9 times per game and as a basketball team they are committing 16.6 fouls on a nightly basis. As a team, UIC is grabbing 33.9 rebounds per game and has racked up 300 dimes on the year, which ranks 57th in D-1 in terms of passing the rock. The Flames are hitting 36.8% on shots from downtown (177 of 481) and 64.6% from the free throw line. They average 70.1 points per game (285th in college hoops) while hitting 45.4% from the field.

Defensively, the Flames are able to force 11.4 turnovers per game while drawing 14.1 fouls. They rank 99th in the country in giving up assists to the opposition with 223 conceded so far this season. The Flames are allowing a FG percentage of 41.2% (478 of 1,159) and they surrender 35.6 rebounds per game as a team. They are giving up 28.8% on shots from beyond the arc while they are 91st in Division 1 in opponents PPG (67.8).

The last time they took the court, the Belmont Bruins took a loss by a score of 77-67 when they played Illinois State. In the matter of how they cleaned up the glass, Belmont allowed Illinois State to collect 33 in total (9 on the offensive side). They finished shooting 36.4% from 3-point land by going 8 of 22 and finished the game at 17 out of 23 at the free throw line (73.9%). The Bruins permitted Illinois State to make 26 of 57 attempts from the floor which left them with a shooting percentage of 45.6% for the game. Overall, the Bruins went 22 out of 54 from the field which gave them a percentage of 40.7%. When discussing 3-pointers, Belmont buried 6 of 24 attempts (25.0%). They were able to convert 17 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 81.0%. Illinois State earned 20 personal fouls for the game which took the Bruins to the free throw line for 21 shots. They turned it over 9 times, while getting 3 steals in the game. The Bruins snagged 24 defensive boards and 7 offensive rebounds for a total of 31 in this matchup.

Malik Dia ended up being a factor for the Bruins for this game. He earned 19 points in his 27 minutes on the court, but left the arena with no assists. He made 8 out of 16 for the matchup for a field goal rate of 50.0%, and accumulated 7 rebounds.

Belmont has a mark of 11-9 for the year. When it comes to executing on offense, the Bruins are shooting 47.8% from the field, which has them ranked 42nd in college basketball. Belmont has accounted for 1,546 points on the season (77.3 per contest) and they pull in 33.1 boards per game. They are earning an assist 15.0 times per game (94th in the country) and they lose possession via turnover 13.3 times per game. The Bruins have committed 15.4 personal fouls every game and they connect on 72.1% from the free throw line.

The Bruins on the defensive side of the court are 338th in Division 1 in points per game surrendered with 78.8. They are able to force 12.2 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 46.6% from the field (331st in D-1). The Belmont defense concedes 34.1% on 3-point attempts (173 of 508) and their opponents are connecting on 72.3% of their shots from the free throw line. They surrender 16.4 dimes and 35.3 rebounds per game, which is ranked 356th and 204th in college basketball.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take UIC

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