Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Lamar vs Texas-Rio Grande Valley NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Edinburg.
Lamar vs Texas-Rio Grande Valley Prediction
Looking to win big? The Cardinals and Vaqueros face off at 5:30 ET on ESPN+. The Vaqueros are hosting the game at UTRGV Fieldhouse in Edinburg, TX. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 151 points, and Texas-Rio Grande Valley is favored by -8.5 to win at home against Lamar.
Lamar vs. Texas-Rio Grande Valley Matchup At A Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: Lamar Cardinals at Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros
- Where: Edinburg at UTRGV Fieldhouse
- Date: Saturday, December 7th
- Betting Odds UTRGV -8.5, LAMAR +325 | UTRGV -435 O/U 151
Cardinals Preview: Will Lamar Pull Through as the Underdog Road Team?
Lamar picked up their first win of the season on Thursday, defeating Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 65-61 on the road. The Cardinals, who are now 1-5, were +8.5 point underdogs going into the game.
After trailing 42-33 at halftime, Lamar's defense stepped up in the second half, allowing just 19 points while scoring 32 of their own. The game’s total points of 126 fell well short of the O/U line of 151.
Cardinals Offense Breakdown
In their recent game, the Lamar Cardinals put up 65 points, shooting 44.8% from the field. They hit 51.3% of their two-point attempts and 31.6% from beyond the arc, with an effective field goal percentage of 50%.
Alexis Marmolejos led the way from deep, hitting 4 of 6 threes and finishing with 17 points. Garry Clark was efficient inside, shooting 77.8% overall. Ja'Sean Jackson contributed 9 assists, while the team finished with 17 assists and 10 offensive rebounds.
Cardinals Team Defense
Even with Lamar's defense giving up 61 points, they managed to limit their opponent's shooting, holding them to 42% from the field. The Cardinals were particularly effective at defending the three-point line, where they didn't allow a single three-pointer on 13 attempts.
Inside the arc, Lamar's opponent shot 55%, hitting 24 of 43 two-point shots. From the free-throw line, they struggled, making just 13 of 23 attempts for 56%. Lamar also gave up 10 offensive rebounds in the game.
Vaqueros Preview: Can Texas-Rio Grande Valley Secure a Home Victory?
Texas-Rio Grande Valley improved to 4-3 on the season with a 68-65 win over Stephen F. Austin on Thursday. The Vaqueros were -5.5 favorites but didn’t cover the spread in this one.
After leading 24-22 at halftime, UTRGV scored 44 points in the 2nd half while allowing 43. The game’s total points of 133 fell short of the 143.5 O/U line.
Vaqueros Offense Breakdown
In their latest game, the Vaqueros managed to put up 68 points, shooting 38.9% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 48.1%, with a 44.4% success rate on two-point attempts and 33.3% from beyond the arc, hitting 9 of 27 threes. At the free-throw line, they connected on 81%, going 17 for 21.
DK Thorn and Keon Thompson each contributed 20 points, with Thorn hitting 5 of 10 threes and Thompson shooting 64.3% overall. K.T. Raimey added 17 points, while Kyle Hayman chipped in 14. The Vaqueros also grabbed 10 offensive rebounds and dished out 13 assists in the game.
Vaqueros Team Defense
Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros held their opponent to 65 points, with a defensive effort that limited them to 38% shooting from the field (21/54). Inside the arc, the Vaqueros allowed 12 two-point field goals on 27 attempts, a 44% shooting rate.
From three-point range, the Vaqueros' defense gave up 9 threes on 27 attempts, with their opponent shooting 33%. They also sent them to the free-throw line 21 times, where they converted 17 free throws, an 81% rate. Texas-Rio Grande Valley allowed 10 offensive rebounds in the game.
Cardinals vs Vaqueros Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis
- Across their last five road contests, Lamar has a 3-2 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 2-3, while averaging 67 points per game.
- Across the Vaqueros last ten home games, the team averaged 67 points per game while allowing 83. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 6-4, while going 1-9 straight-up.
- As the betting underdog, the Cardinals have an ATS mark of just 1-1-1 in their last three games. Lamar posted a straight up mark of 1-2 in these matchups.
- Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Vaqueros have gone 5-5 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 8-2.
Lamar vs Texas-Rio Grande Valley Prediction & Free Pick
- KnupSports.com Free Betting Prediction: Lamar +8.5 Be sure to check out our other NCAA Basketball betting previews for this week. KnupSports.com also updates their sports betting picks page daily with plays across all sports.