Pacific Tigers vs Washington State Cougars Prediction, 1/9/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Pacific Tigers vs Washington State Cougars

Date: Thursday, January 9, 2025

Location: Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, WA

TV: ESPN+

The Pacific Tigers (5-13) are on their way to Beasley Coliseum on Thursday where they will attempt to defeat the Washington State Cougars (13-3).

The Pacific Tigers faced off with Pepperdine and took a loss by a score of 87-70 in their last game. Pacific ended the game having earned a 39.3% field goal percentage (22 out of 56) and made 10 of 32 shots from beyond the arc. From the free throw line, the Tigers made 16 of their 23 tries for a percentage of 69.6%. In regard to grabbing boards, they earned 24 with 7 of them being offensive. They also dished out 13 dimes in this matchup in addition to forcing the other team into 14 turnovers and earning 8 steals. In reference to the defense, Pacific allowed the other team to shoot 57.4% from the floor on 31 of 54 shooting. Pepperdine recorded 21 assists and had 7 steals in this contest. Additionally, Pepperdine collected 29 rebounds (2 offensive, 27 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Pepperdine finished the game at 65.0% from the free throw line by knocking down 13 of 20 attempts. They also made 12 out of their 28 tries from 3-point range. When talking about fouls, the Tigers left the arena with 18 while Pepperdine recorded 19 fouls.

Elijah Fisher is one player who was a major contributor for this game. He notched 18 points on 4 of 7 shooting. He played for 37 mins and also pulled down 3 rebounds. He finished the game shooting 57.1% from the floor and distributed 1 assist.

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Pacific will take the court with a mark of 5-13 so far this season. They cough up possession 12.3 times per contest and as a team are committing 18.3 fouls per contest. As a unit, Pacific is pulling down 37.2 rebounds per game and is sitting with 244 dimes on the season, which ranks 71st in Division 1 in terms of passing. The Tigers are connecting on 28.6% on three-point shots (114 of 399) and 71.9% from the free throw line. They are averaging 71.1 points per outing (277th in college hoops) while shooting 43.2% from the field.

Defensively, the Tigers are able to force 10.3 turnovers per game and they draw 18.4 fouls. They are currently ranked 361st in D-1 in giving up assists to the opposition with 281 surrendered on the year. The Tigers are giving up an opponent shooting percentage of 44.0% (462 of 1,050) and they concede 34.7 boards per game as a team. They are giving up 34.4% on 3-point attempts and they rank 254th in Division 1 in points per game from their opponents (74.1).

The last time they took the hardwood, the Washington State Cougars walked away with a victory by a final of 91-82 against San Francisco. With respect to attacking the glass, Washington State permitted San Francisco to grab 31 in all (13 on the offensive glass). They finished 30.3% from beyond the arc by shooting 10 of 33 and walked away from this one shooting 16 of 23 at the free throw line (69.6%). The Cougars permitted San Francisco to bury 28 out of their 67 tries from the floor which had them shooting 41.8% for the game. When the final whistle blew, the Cougars walked away from this one shooting 25 out of 51 from the floor which gave them a rate of 49.0%. When it comes to shooting from beyond the arc, Washington State made 7 of their 19 tries (36.8%). They were able to knock down 34 of them for a clip of 82.9%. San Francisco was called for 28 fouls for the game which got the Cougars to the free throw line for 41 shots. They also turned the ball over 13 times, while getting 9 steals in this contest. The Cougars pulled down 27 defensive rebounds and 11 offensive boards for a total of 38 for the contest.

LeJuan Watts ended up being a factor for the Cougars in this matchup. He made 6 of 15 for the contest giving him a field goal percentage of 40.0%, and totaled 12 rebounds. He earned 24 points in his 39 mins on the court and added 5 assists in the matchup.

Washington State has a record of 13-3 for the year. The Cougars are committing 20.1 fouls per contest and they shoot 71.4% from the free throw line. They are earning an assist 17.2 times per contest (34th in the nation) and they turn it over 15.2 times per game. Washington State has totaled 1,305 pts on the year (81.6 per game) and they collect 37.4 boards per contest. On the offensive side of the court, the Cougars are connecting on 49.5% from the field, which ranks them 23rd in D-1.

The Cougars on defense are ranked 253rd in D-1 in points given up per game with 74.0. They have forced 12.3 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 42.5% from the floor (156th in the country). The Washington State defense surrenders 29.9% on shots from distance (114 of 381) and their opposition makes 67.9% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have relinquished 12.6 assists and 32.6 boards per contest, which has them ranked 147th and 90th in the nation.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Washington State

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