Check out our free East Tennessee State vs Samford pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Homewood. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
East Tennessee State vs Samford Pick & Preview: Saturday, February 4th Betting Odds
Buccaneers vs Bulldogs Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: East Tennessee State Buccaneers at Samford Bulldogs
- Where: Homewood at Pete Hanna Center
- Date: Saturday, February 4th
- Betting Odds: East Tennessee State +9, ETNST +339 | SAMF -453 O/U 141.5
Buccaneers Preview:
The East Tennessee State Buccaneers head into today’s game in what will be their 25th game of the season, posting a record of 9-15. On the road, the Buccaneers will be playing their 9th game of the season, having gone 4-5. So far, the Buccaneers have been the underdog 11 times, going 4-7 straight up. Heading into today’s contest, they are the +9 underdogs on the spread.
East Tennessee State will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Jordan King who is averaging 14.08 points per game for the Buccaneers. King is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Also key to the Buccaneers’ offensive game plan is the play of Jalen Haynes who has hit 58.7% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 13.92 points per game.
Offensive production has been hard to come by for East Tennessee State this season, as they are currently ranked 169th in college basketball at 72.1 points per game. A major reason for low scoring totals is the fact that they have played at a below average pace, and have struggled to knock down outside shots. As a team, the Buccaneers’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 35.0%, placing them 177th in the NCAA.
Bulldogs Preview:
Heading into today’s matchup vs East Tennessee State, the Samford Bulldogs will be taking the floor for the 25th time this season and have an overall record of 15-9. Currently, the Bulldogs have been the home team 12 times, sitting with a record of 10-2. The Bulldogs’ are sitting with a betting line that is -9 points in their favor. For the season, Samford has been favored to win in 14 games, sitting with a mark of 11-3.
Samford’s leading scorer this season is Logan Dye, who is averaging 14.33 points per contest. So far, Dye has accounted for 18.25% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 5.54 rebounds per game and 1.33 assists. Jermaine Marshall is the second leading scorer for the Bulldogs, averaging 11.43 points per game. Between him and Marshall, they are accounting for 32.2% of the team’s scoring.
On offense, Samford is scoring a rate similar to the NCAA average at 74.7 points per game. This figure has come despite struggling to knock down shots from outside. Through 24 games, they have only hit 33.5% of their 3-point field goal attempts. For the season, 42.61% of their shots have come from beyond the arc.
Free Spread Prediction: Samford Bulldogs -9
In this game between the Samford Bulldogs and East Tennessee State Buccaneers, we think that East Tennessee State has a good chance of keeping the score closer than anticipated. The Buccaneers have a strong track record as the underdog, going 4-1 against the spread in their last 5 games. Furthermore, the two teams have different playing styles, with Samford focusing on a fast pace and East Tennessee State preferring a slower game. This could benefit the Buccaneers, as there will be fewer possessions for Samford to pull ahead. Based on these factors, we feel confident about placing a bet on the East Tennessee State Buccaneers to cover as the +9 point underdogs.
