Lafayette vs American 2/2/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds
American Eagles (6-14) vs. Lafayette Leopards (5-14)
February 2, 2022 7:00 pm EDT
The Line: Lafayette Leopards -5 / American Eagles +5; Over/Under: 131.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The American University Eagles will travel to the Kirby Sports Center to take on the Lafayette Leopards this Wednesday night in College Basketball action.
The American University Eagles dropped to 6-14 on the season after being defeated by the Navy Midshipmen, 47-45, this past Saturday. American University fought back from a 33-21 deficit early in the 2nd half to make it competitive late, however, the Eagles could not fight back after Navy took a 44-39 lead with 2:11 left in regulation. American University shot 38.5% from the field & 20.0% from beyond the arc while allowing Navy to shoot 32.7% from the field & 5.6% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Eagles was Stacy Beckton Jr. who had 19 points, 5 rebounds, & 2 steals.
On the season, American University is averaging 63.5 ppg on 45.2% shooting from the field. The Eagles are averaging 5.2 three-pointers per game on 32.8% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, American University has been led by Stacy Beckton Jr. (12.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.1 spg), Colin Smalls (10.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.3 apg), Matt Rogers (9.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.8 apg), & Johnny O’Neil (8.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.8 apg).
Defensively, American University is allowing their opponents to average 72.7 ppg on 48.3% shooting from the field. The Eagles have a rebound margin of -3.5 and a turnover margin of -2.5.
The Lafayette Leopards lost their 3rd straight game and dropped to 5-14 on the season after being defeated by the Colgate Raiders, 72-61, this past Monday night. Lafayettetrailed by a 33-25 margin at halftime and could not fight back after Colgate took a 50-33 lead with 15:08 left in regulation. Lafayette shot 40.7% from the field & 30.8% from beyond the arc while allowing Colgate to shoot 40.7% from the field & 45.5% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Leopards was Neal Quinn who had a double-double with 15 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, & 3 blocks.
On the season, Lafayette is averaging 66.4 ppg on 41.8% shooting from the field. The Leopards are averaging 8.9 three-pointers per game on 31.8% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Lafayette has been led by Neal Quinn (13.4 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.4 bpg), Tyrone Perry (11.6 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.9 apg), Kyle Jenkins (11.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.9 apg), & Leo O’Boyle (10.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.2 apg).
Defensivel5y, Lafayette is allowing their opponents to average 73.1 ppg on 44.4% shooting from the field. The Leopards have a rebound margin of -5.4 and a turnover margin of -0.6.
The Eagles are 5-5 ATS in their last 10 games & 3-2 ATS in their last 5 road games. The Leopards are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a double-digit loss at home, however, are just 1-9 ATS in their last 10 home games.
American University has struggled on both ends of the court this season as the Eagles come into this game ranked just 323rd in scoring offense, 273rd in scoring defense, & 344th in defensive FG%. Lafayette has also had issues on both ends of the court this season and come into this game ranked 296th in scoring offense, 283rd in FG%, & 278th in scoring defense.
Lafayette might be the better team in this one, however it’s hard to trust the Leopards to cover a mid-range spread in this one, especially as Lafayette is just 2-7 on their home court this season. American lost to Lafayette by a 69-56 margin at home just over a week ago, however, the Eagles have played well since that outing, which included a near upset at Navy, and as I think the Eagles will be able to keep this one competitive, my play here is to take American University and the points. Good Luck!
