Wichita State Shockers vs East Carolina Pirates Prediction, 2/15/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Wichita State Shockers vs East Carolina Pirates

Date: Thursday, February 15, 2024

Location: Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum in Greenville, NC

TV: ESPN+

The East Carolina Pirates (12-12) will try to beat the Wichita State Shockers (10-14) at Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum on Thursday.

The Wichita State Shockers faced off with Florida Atlantic and ended up losing by a score of 95-82 in their last game. Wichita State wrapped up the game having earned a 50.8% field goal percentage (32 out of 63) and knocked down 6 out of their 16 three-point shots. At the free throw line, the Shockers knocked down 12 of 16 attempts for a percentage of 75.0%. In reference to pulling down boards, they earned 32 with 8 of them being on the offensive end. They also distributed 9 dimes in this game while forcing the opposition into 9 turnovers and getting 5 steals. Concerning the defense, Wichita State allowed the other team to shoot 47.2% from the floor on 34 out of 72 shooting. Florida Atlantic dished out 21 assists and had 13 steals in the matchup. Moreover, Florida Atlantic snagged 31 rebounds (11 offensive, 20 defensive), but didn't record a block for the team. Florida Atlantic finished the game at 90.9% at the free throw line by making 20 of 22 attempts. They also converted 7 of 23 shots from beyond the arc. When talking about fouls, the Shockers ended up walking away with 17 while Florida Atlantic recorded 13 fouls.

Xavier Bell is a player who was a contributor for this game. He finished with 25 points on 10 out of 18 shooting. He was on the hardwood for 41 minutes and pulled down 4 boards. He shot 55.6% from the field and totaled 2 dimes.

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Wichita State heads into this game with a record of 10-14 this season. They average 73.3 pts per game (204th in Division 1) while connecting on 44.8% from the field. The Shockers are shooting 31.9% from downtown (151 of 474) and 69.5% from the charity stripe. As a team, Wichita State is snagging 40.0 boards per contest and has racked up 279 dimes on the campaign, which ranks 304th in D-1 in terms of passing. They turn it over 12.5 times per contest and as a basketball team are committing 15.1 fouls per contest.

On defense, the Shockers are able to force 10.3 turnovers per contest while drawing 15.3 personal fouls. They give up 32.9% on 3-point shots and they are ranked 242nd in college basketball in opponents points per game (73.9). The Shockers are giving up a field goal percentage of 41.8% (644 of 1,541) and they surrender 36.0 boards per game as a team. They rank 263rd in college basketball in allowing assists to their opponents with 335 conceded so far this season.

The last time they took the court, the East Carolina Pirates got the win with a final of 84-73 when they played UTSA. The Pirates recorded 20 defensive rebounds and 12 offensive rebounds for a total of 32 in the game. They also coughed up the ball 5 times, while recording 10 steals in this contest. UTSA committed 12 fouls in this matchup which got the Pirates to the charity stripe for 9 attempts. They were able to convert 5 of the free throws for a rate of 55.6%. When it comes to shots from 3-point land, East Carolina made 13 out of 33 attempts (39.4%). When all was said and done, the Pirates ended up shooting 33 for 72 from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 45.8%. The Pirates allowed UTSA to bury 22 out of their 53 tries from the field which gave them a percentage of 41.5% for the contest. They went 38.5% from three-point range by going 10 of 26 and ended up shooting 19 of 21 at the free throw line (90.5%). When talking about attacking the glass, East Carolina allowed UTSA to snag 35 in all (11 on the offensive glass).

Brandon Johnson ended up being a major contributor for the Pirates for the contest. He earned 30 points in his 37 minutes on the court, but left the arena with no assists. He converted 10 of 19 in the game giving him a rate of 52.6%, and earned 9 rebounds.

East Carolina has a mark of 12-12 for the season. In terms of offensive execution, the Pirates are connecting on 41.6% from the floor, which ranks 320th in the country. East Carolina has totaled 1,667 pts for the year (69.5 per contest) and they pull in 35.6 rebounds per game. They are dishing out assists 11.3 times per game (315th in college basketball) and they lose possession via turnover 10.5 times per contest. The Pirates are responsible for committing 15.7 fouls every game while shooting 69.6% from the free throw line.

The Pirates on the defensive end are ranked 91st in the country in points given up per game with 68.3. They are able to force 13.1 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 43.3% from the floor (168th in college hoops). The East Carolina defense allows 30.6% from downtown (174 of 568) and their opposition knocks down 74.3% of their free throw shots. They have given up 12.1 assists and 35.3 rebounds per contest, which has them ranked 119th and 214th in D-1.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take East Carolina

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