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Two top Big South Conference teams face off Thursday evening as the UNC Asheville Bulldogs head to the Winthrop Coliseum to take on the Winthrop Eagles.
The Bulldogs (11-8, 3-1) are looking to build off Saturday's 65-61 home win over the Longwood Lancers. The Eagles (13-6, 4-0) are on a five-game winning streak after a 92-88 triple-overtime home win over the Radford Highlanders on Saturday.
UNC Asheville vs Winthrop betting odds
UNC Asheville vs Winthrop game details
Fixture: UNC Asheville Bulldogs vs Winthrop Eagles
Date and Time: Thursday, Jan. 18, 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Winthrop Coliseum in Rock Hill, South Carolina
UNC Asheville vs Winthrop key stats
The Bulldogs' offense has scored 81.5 points per game on a solid 46.0% shooting from the field. Senior forward Drew Pember has led the way for the program. In 29.1 minutes, he averages 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.0 blocks and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 46.4 percent throughout the season.
The UNC Asheville defense has been struggling a bit, allowing 74.5 ppg. Currently, they are recording 4.2 bpg and 5.9 spg.
The Winthrop Eagles are averaging 79.3 ppg and shooting 46.0% from the field. Senior forward Kelton Talford has averaged 13.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.6 bpg and 0.4 spg in 26.4 minutes per game. He has a limited range but is doing well with a 60.6 field goal percentage throughout the season.
The Eagles' defense has been holding its own, giving up 69.3 ppg. They are also doing well with 6.8 spg and 2.7 bpg.
UNC Asheville vs Winthrop: Best Picks and Prediction
These teams are very similar in how they play this season and their offenses have been mirror images lately. UNC Asheville scored 73.0 ppg in their previous four, while Winthrop averaged 72.2 ppg in their last five.
To further dive into the offenses, there is a huge difference when looking at the assist-to-turnover ratio, as the Eagles are 322nd in college basketball with a 0.800 ratio while the Bulldogs are 172nd in the sport with a 1.066 ratio entering this game.
With zero injuries and Winthrop playing five overtime periods in the last four games, go with the UNC Asheville Bulldogs to cover the spread.
Pick: UNC Asheville Bulldogs +3.5 (-105)
