The Prairie View A&M Panthers and the DePaul Blue Demons meet Thursday in college basketball action from Wintrust Arena. Here’s a DePaul vs Prairie View A&M prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best DePaul vs Prairie View A&M pick.
Prairie View A&M Panthers Betting Preview
Last year the Panthers posted a forgettable campaign, going 10-21 overall with a 5-13 record in SWAC games. Prairie View finished ahead of only Florida A&M and Mississippi Valley State with that run. The Panthers finished the season on a seven-game losing streak.
The Panthers already have one game in the books this year: a victory over the College of Biblical Studies. Prairie View A&M posted 64 points in the second half on the way to a 111-90 win. Orlando Horton led the way with 28 points, while Nick Anderson added 27 points and five boards.
DePaul Blue Demons Betting Preview
Over on the DePaul side, they posted a miserable 3-29 overall record last year. The Blue Demons went a rough 0-20 in the Big East Conference, which led to a last-place finish and a mid-season firing of head coach Tony Stubblefield. An opener loss to Villanova in the Big East Tournament finished off the season.
The Blue Demons had a close call in their opener. DePaul had to go to overtime versus Southern Indiana but eventually eked out the win 80-78. Isaiah Rivera led the team with 25 points in the victory. David Skogman doubled up on 13 points and 10 boards.
Why the DePaul Blue Demons will win
- Prairie View A&M has lost each of its last six road games against non-conference opponents.
- DePaul has won 32 of its last 37 home night games against non-conference opponents.
- Prairie View A&M has lost the first half in each of its last 11 road night games against non-conference opponents.
Why the Prairie View A&M Panthers will win
- DePaul has lost 20 of its last 21 games.
- DePaul has lost the first half in 20 of its last 21 games.
DePaul vs Prairie View A&M Prediction
I’ll probably lean toward DePaul. That said, with the tight game in their opener, I’m staying away from this one. The Blue Demons nearly fell to a sneaky Southern Indiana team, giving up 50 percent shooting from the floor and 42.9 percent from 3-point range to the Screaming Eagles. DePaul was also out-rebounded 36-35 but overall they weren’t terrible with ball control (10 turnovers).
As for Prairie View A&M, this matchup will mark a big uptick in competition after a relatively easy opener. I could see the Panthers keeping pace cover-wise if they continue to play well, however, so this one seems like a coin flip to me.