Dixie State vs Tarleton State 12/30/21 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Tarleton State Texans will travel to Burns Arena to take on the Dixie State Trailblazers this Thursday night in College Basketball action.

The Tarleton State Texans won their 2^nd straight game and improved to 5-8 on the season after defeating the Air Force Falcons, 67-45, on December 21^st. Tarleton State was outstanding defensively against Air Force and had no trouble securing the victory after taking a 38-22 lead wit 14:09 left in regulation. Tarleton State shot 58.1% from the field & 42.9% from beyond the arc while holding Air Force to 41.0% shooting from the field & 27.8% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Texans was Freddy Hicks who had 11 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, & 2 steals.

On the season, Tarleton State is averaging 62.3 ppg on 41.7% shooting from the field. The Texans are averaging 4.3 three-pointers per game on 27.7% shooting from beyond the arc.

Offensively, Tarleton State has been led by Montre Gipson (14.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.2 spg), Tahj Small (14.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.2 spg), Freddy Hicks (8.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.1 spg), & Shakur Daniel (6.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.3 spg).

Defensively, Tarleton State is holding their opponents to an average of 61.9 ppg on 43.2% shooting from the field. The Texans have a rebound margin of -2.1 and a turnover margin of 4.5.

The Dixie State Trailblazers had their 6-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 7-6 on the season after being defeated by the Southern Utah Thunderbirds, 87-59, on December 22^nd. Dixie State struggled on both ends of the court against Southern Utah and could not fight back after going into halftime trailing by a 50-17 margin. Dixie State shot 37.3% from the field & 16.7% from beyond the arc while allowing Southern Utah to shoot 55.9% from the field & 39.3% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Trailblazers was Dancell Leter who had 13 points, 4 rebounds, & 1 steal.

On the season, Dixie State is averaging 81.0 ppg on 45.6% shooting from the field. The Trailblazers are averaging 8.5 three-pointers per game on 36.7% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Dixie State has been led by Cameron Gooden (14.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.0 spg), Hunter Schofield (13.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.0 apg), Frank Staine (9.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg), & Dancell Leter (8.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.1 spg).

Defensively, Dixie State is allowing their opponents to average 75.5 ppg on 44.9% shooting from the field. The Trailblazers have a rebound margin of 3.5 and a turnover margin of -0.8.

The Texans are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a ATS win and a 6-2-1 ATS in their last 9 road games. The Trailblazers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a losing road record, however, are just 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall.

Dixie State has an impressive 6-1 record at home, however, 4 of those wins have been against non-D-1 programs and the Trailblazers don’t have the great defense. Tarleton State has yet to pick up a win on the road, however, they have played some tough competition which includes Kansas, Michigan, & Gonzaga and was competitive in their games against the Wolverines & Bulldogs. Tarleton State has a defense that is going to give Dixie State some trouble and I think Tarleton does enough to pick up their first road win and cover this small spread. Good Luck!