The Belmont Bruins and Tennessee State Tigers continue their conference play Friday, December 18, taking on each other at Gentry Center in Nashville, Tennessee. These two foes already met each other on December 8 when the Bruins beat the Tigers 79-64 as 14.5-point home favorites.
Belmont is undefeated in six straight encounters with Tennessee State. The Bruins outlasted the Tigers three times this calendar year, so sports bettors don’t want to miss Friday’s clash between a couple of Ohio Valley Conference rivals.
The Bruins cruised past Kennesaw State for their third straight win
The Belmont Bruins are on a three-game winning streak following a 64-53 home win to the Kennesaw State Owls this past Wednesday, improving to 6-1 on the young season. They failed to cover a massive 24-point spread, but the Bruins didn’t have any problems to outlast the Owls.
Nick Muszynski had 25 points on 11-for-17 shooting from the field, while Luke Smith added 14 points on 4-for-6 shooting from downtown. Smith is averaging 19.1 points per game this season; Muszynski is posting 17.7 points and 5.7 rebounds, while Grayson Murphy is tallying 12.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists a night.
The Bruins are scoring 103.1 points per 100 possessions (110th in the country) on 46.8% shooting from the field (98th). They are yielding 97.4 points in a return (119th) on 41.8% shooting (150th). Belmont is No. 112 in the KenPom rankings at the moment after finishing the previous season at the 109th spot.
The Tigers search for their first win of the season
The Tennessee Tigers played just two games this term and lost both. They were beaten by the IUPUI Jaguars 69-66 as 2-point road underdogs this past Saturday, and I’ve already mentioned a home loss to the Belmont Bruins.
The Tigers battled bravely in Indianapolis, but they shot only 17.6% from beyond the arc and came short in a dramatic finish. Shakem Johnson led the way for the Tigers with 17 points and eight rebounds, while Mark Freeman had 14 points, five boards, and three assists.
Tennessee State ended as No. 259 in the last season’s KenPom rankings, while the Tigers are No. 292 at the moment. They score only 91.7 points per 100 possessions (322nd in the country) on 38.6% shooting from the field (294th) while surrendering 102.0 points in a return (220th) on 39.3% shooting (74th).
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”ncaab/tennessee_state” size=”300×250″ site_id=”atsio” css=”float:right; margin-left:10px”]Trends:
Belmont:
- 4-2 ATS in the last six games against Tennessee State
- 11-6 ATS in the last 17 games overall
- 4-1 ATS in the last five road tilts
Tennessee State:
- 4-7 ATS in the last 11 games overall
- 3-7 ATS in the last ten games played in December
The Winner Prediction
The Bruins are 17-3 straight up in their last 20 matchups with the Tigers and are 4-2 ATS in their previous six encounters with Tennessee State. They are undefeated in five straight outings on the road and considering their current form, the Bruins shouldn’t have any problems extending their dominance over the Tigers.
Just ten days ago, the Bruins easily defeated the Tigers by 15 points, having a double-digit lead for most of the clash. Therefore, I have to bet on Belmont to cover once more.
Pick: Take Belmont Bruins -9.5 at -110
The Total:
The under is 14-1 in Tennessee State’s last 15 games overall, and that’s a completely ridiculous record. Furthermore, the Tigers’ last five home tilts went in the under, as well as four of the Bruins’ last five contests on the road.
Although both Belmont and Tennessee State love to play at a fast pace, I have to back the under in their upcoming H2H duel. The Tigers have been terrible offensively through their first two games of the season, but their defense hasn’t been that bad, so the hosts could slow down the Bruins and help me win this wager.
Pick: Go under 145.5 points at -110