The South Florida Bulls (8-8, 1-2 AAC) will attempt to prolong their five-game home winning streak in a matchup against the No. 21 Memphis Tigers (12-3, 1-1 AAC) at Yuengling Center. The game will air on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 12, 2020.
Memphis Tigers vs. South Florida Bulls Free Prediction
In the Tigers’ last matchup, they were defeated by the No. 23 Wichita State Shockers, 76-67. Wichita State’s turnover percentage was their largest strength over Memphis. The Shockers had a rate of 10.8 (better than their season average of 14.5), while the Tigers posted a mark of 20.3. Precious Achiuwa was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points on 8-for-11 shooting.
The Bulls lost a tough one against the East Carolina Pirates in their last outing, 62-59. East Carolina’s 0.530 effective field goal percentage was their largest strength over South Florida, who had a mark of 0.386. The Pirates’ mark was above their season average of 0.472, while the Bulls’ was below their season average of 0.488. South Florida’s Laquincy Rideau had a good performance, leading the team in scoring with 16 points on 5-for-14 shooting.
The ineffective offense of South Florida (282nd in the NCAA with an offensive efficiency of 96.7) will face off against the stingy defense of Memphis (sixth in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 84.1). The Tigers figure to have the edge on that end of the court. It will also be a tale of two styles as the up-tempo Tigers rank 20th in possessions per game, while the more methodical Bulls rank 316th.
After the Bulls won the lone contest against the Tigers last season, 84-78, these teams will go head-to-head for the first time this year. South Florida did a terrific job of getting to and converting from the charity stripe (32-44; 72.7 percent). Memphis, on the other hand, had a much better turnover percentage (20.1 vs. 33.6).
Memphis Tigers at South Florida Bulls Betting Pick
Basketball Tip: ATS Winner – South Florida, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
Memphis ranks second in blocks per game (6.9) while South Florida ranks 166th (2.3).
The Tigers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 13.8, down from 15.3 for the season.
During their last five games, the Bulls have scored an average of 63.6 points per game (0.8 below their season average) and allowed an average of 65.6 points per game (3.2 above their season average).
