St. Thomas (MN) vs Western Illinois 1/1/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds
Western Illinois Leathernecks (10-4) vs. St. Thomas (MN) Tommies (7-7)
January 1, 2022 3:00 pm EDT
The Line: St. Thomas (MN) Tommies +3.5 / Western Illinois Leathernecks -3.5; Over/Under: +153
(Get latest betting odds)
The Western Carolina Catamounts and St. Thomas – Minnesota Tommies meet Saturday in college basketball action at the Schoenecker Arena. The Western Carolina Catamounts look to build on their 10-4 record. The St. Thomas – Minnesota Tommies look for a win after splitting their last eight games.
The Western Carolina Catamounts are averaging 81 points on 43.4 percent shooting and allowing 73.4 points on 44.2 percent shooting. Will Carius is averaging 17.4 points and 1.2 assists, while Trenton Massner is averaging 16.2 points and 5.9 rebounds. Colton Sandage is the third double-digit scorer and Luka Barisic is dishing 1.4 assists. The Western Carolina Catamounts are shooting 35.3 percent from beyond the arc and 69.7 percent from the free throw line. The Western Carolina Catamounts are allowing 36.2 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 35.6 rebounds per game.
The St. Thomas – Minnesota Tommies are averaging 78.9 points on 45.4 percent shooting and allowing 69.7 points on 46.3 percent shooting. Riley Miller is averaging 18.2 points and 2.6 assists, while Anders Nelson is averaging 16.8 points and 3.1 rebounds. Parker Bjorklund is the third double-digit scorer and Ryan Lindberg is dishing 1.6 assists. The St. Thomas – Minnesota Tommies are shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc and 72.4 percent from the free throw line. The St. Thomas – Minnesota Tommies are allowing 33.3 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 28.6 rebounds per game.
The Leathernecks are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games and 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall. The Tommies are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win and 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games overall. The over is 4-1 in Leathernecks last 5 overall. The over is 4-0 in Leathernecks last 4 road games.
The St. Thomas – Minnesota Tommies have had issues against every respectable team they’ve played this season, and their defense is below average at best. The Western Carolina Catamounts can score the basketball, and they have many guys who can take over games for stretches. This feels like a spot where the Catamounts will control the pace and pull away in the second half. Give me the road favorite.
