Valparaiso Beacons vs Belmont Bruins Prediction, 3/7/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Valparaiso Beacons vs Belmont Bruins

Date: Thursday, March 7, 2024

Location: Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO

TV: ESPN+

The Belmont Bruins (19-12) host the Valparaiso Beacons (7-24) at Enterprise Center on Thursday.

The Valparaiso Beacons took the court against Illinois State and notched a win by a score of 75-72 in their last contest. In relation to personal fouls, the Beacons finished with 12 while Illinois State recorded 11 personal fouls. They also made 8 out of their 21 tries from beyond the perimeter. Illinois State finished shooting 80.0% from the free throw line by burying 4 of their 5 shots. Moreover, Illinois State totaled 24 rebounds (3 offensive, 21 defensive), but wasn't able to record a rejection. Illinois State dished out 19 assists and had 5 steals in the matchup. In reference to defending, Valparaiso allowed their opponent to shoot 53.6% from the field on 30 of 56 shooting. They also recorded 14 assists in this contest while forcing the other team into 8 turnovers and earning 5 steals. In reference to rebounding, they earned 29 with 8 of them being offensive. At the free throw line, the Beacons converted 3 of their 6 attempts for a rate of 50.0%. Valparaiso wrapped up the contest having earned a 52.5% FG percentage (31 out of 59) and buried 10 of 25 3-point attempts.

Cooper Schwieger is one player who played a role in the matchup. He walked away from this one shooting 70.6% from the floor and distributed 1 assist. He played 39 minutes and also grabbed 5 rebounds. He totaled 28 points on 12 of 17 shooting.

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Valparaiso will enter this matchup with a record of 7-24 for the year. They are losing possession via turnover 11.1 times per contest and as a team they are committing 16.3 fouls per game. As a unit, Valparaiso is collecting 32.7 rebounds per contest and is sitting with 374 dimes for the year, which ranks 239th in the nation in terms of passing. The Beacons are shooting 33.1% on shots from distance (228 of 688) and 71.8% from the free throw line. They have an average of 67.8 points per outing (319th in college basketball) while connecting on 41.1% from the field.

On the defensive end, the Beacons are forcing their opponents into 12.4 turnovers per game and they draw 15.4 fouls. They relinquish 35.4% on shots from distance and they are 274th in college hoops in PPG allowed (75.2). The Beacons are giving up a field goal percentage of 47.6% (860 of 1,807) and they concede 38.4 rebounds per game as a unit. They are currently ranked 340th in D-1 in giving up assists to their opponents with 463 relinquished this season.

When they last stepped on the court, the Belmont Bruins took home the win by a final score of 83-66 against Evansville. Regarding how they attacked the glass, Belmont permitted Evansville to collect 36 in total (11 on the offensive glass). They went 25.0% from distance by going 7 of 28 and ended up going 9 of 10 from the free throw line (90.0%). The Bruins allowed Evansville to bury 25 of their 68 attempts from the floor which gave them a rate of 36.8% for this game. In all, the Bruins shot 28 out of 56 from the floor which had them at 50.0%. When discussing shooting from distance, Belmont knocked down 11 of 27 attempts (40.7%). They were able to convert 16 of them for a percentage of 69.6%. Evansville committed 18 fouls for the matchup which took the Bruins to the free throw line for 23 tries. They also turned the ball over 10 times, while getting 7 steals in the game. The Bruins were able to corral 32 defensive rebounds and 5 offensive boards for a total of 37 in this matchup.

Ja'Kobi Gillespie ended up being a major contributor for the Bruins in this matchup. He earned 18 points in his 31 mins on the hardwood and tallied 4 assists for the game. He converted 7 out of 12 for this contest for a field goal percentage of 58.3%, and had 5 rebounds.

Belmont has a win-loss mark of 19-12 for the campaign. On the offensive side of the ball, the Bruins are connecting on 47.7% from the field, which ranks them 35th in college hoops. Belmont has earned 2,422 pts so far this season (78.1 per game) and they pull in 33.8 boards per contest. They are assisting teammates 15.2 times per game (66th in the nation) and they are turning it over 12.2 times per game. The Bruins are committing 15.4 fouls per game and they shoot 73.1% from the free throw line.

The Bruins on defense are ranked 298th in college basketball in PPG allowed with 76.3. They are forcing their opponents into 12.2 turnovers on a nightly basis and have allowed teams to shoot 45.3% from the field (277th in college hoops). The Belmont defense gives up 33.4% on 3-point attempts (259 of 776) and opponents are making 72.4% of their free throw attempts. They relinquish 15.2 dimes and 35.4 total rebounds per game, which is 336th and 222nd in those defensive categories.

So what is Tonights Parlay prediction?

Parlay's Pundit's Pick: Take Belmont and under the total points

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