East Tennessee State Buccaneers vs Elon Phoenix Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Elon vs East Tennessee State NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Johnson City.

Elon vs East Tennessee State Prediction

Planning on watching today's Phoenix and Buccaneers game? Catch the action at Freedom Hall Civic Center in Johnson City, TN, as the Buccaneers hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The odds for this non-conference game currently have East Tennessee State as the -4.5 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 142.5 points.

Elon vs. East Tennessee State Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Elon Phoenix at East Tennessee State Buccaneers
Where: Johnson City at Freedom Hall Civic Center
Date: Wednesday, December 18th
Betting Odds ETNST -4.5, ELON +156 | ETNST -192 O/U 142.5

Phoenix Preview: Can Elon Grab a Win on the Road?

Elon Phoenix Recent Game/Games

Elon improved to 5-3 on the season with a 79-56 win over Wofford on Saturday. The Phoenix were -2.5 favorites at home and covered the spread, while the game’s total points (135) fell just under the O/U line of 139.5.

Elon led 37-29 at halftime and clamped down defensively in the 2nd half, allowing just 27 points while scoring 42 of their own to secure the win.

Phoenix Offense Breakdown

Elon's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, putting up 79 points with a field goal percentage of 59.2%. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 69.4%, thanks to 69.2% shooting on two-pointers and 47.8% from beyond the arc.

Sam Sherry led the way with 22 points, hitting 3 of 6 from three-point range. Nick Dorn added 15 points, connecting on 4 of 6 threes. The Phoenix also dished out 19 assists, with Corey Tripp contributing 5 assists to go along with his 12 points.

Phoenix Team Defense

Elon struggled defensively, giving up 56 points while allowing their opponent to shoot 59% from the field. Inside the arc, they conceded 17 baskets on 25 attempts, a 68% shooting rate.

From three-point range, their opponent hit 11 of 22 shots, good for 50%. Elon also sent them to the line 16 times, where they made 12 free throws, a 75% success rate. Elon gave up 6 offensive rebounds.

Buccaneers Preview: Can the Buccaneers Pull Off a Home Win?

East Tennessee State fell to 4-5 on the season following a 60-52 road loss to Jacksonville on Saturday. The Buccaneers entered the game as 3-point favorites but failed to cover the spread. The total points of 112 fell well short of the O/U line of 148.

ETSU trailed 36-24 at halftime but showed some fight in the second half, outscoring Jacksonville 28-24. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome the early deficit.

Buccaneers Offense Breakdown

East Tennessee State struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 52 points on 33.9% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 40.7%, and they hit 8 of 24 from three-point range, shooting 33.3% from deep. The Buccaneers also had a rough night at the free-throw line, connecting on just 4 of 14 attempts for a 28.6% success rate.

Robert McCray led the team with 22 points, shooting 53.3% from the field, though he made just 1 of 6 from three-point range. Zimi Nwokeji was efficient, hitting 4 of 5 from beyond the arc and finishing with 15 points on 5 of 6 shooting overall. John Buggs also added 15 points, making 5 of 10 from three-point range.

Buccaneers Team Defense

East Tennessee State's defense held their opponent to 60 points, allowing them to shoot 43% from the field on 23 of 53 attempts. Inside the arc, the Buccaneers gave up 17 two-point baskets on 33 attempts, a 51% shooting rate.

From three-point range, East Tennessee State's defense limited their opponent to 6 made threes on 20 attempts, a 30% success rate. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 11 times, where they converted 8, shooting 72%. The Buccaneers allowed 10 offensive rebounds.

Phoenix vs Buccaneers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last three road games, Elon has averaged 69 points per game while allowing 66. The team's record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
In their last ten games at home, the Buccaneers have a straight up record of 4-6 while going 5-5 vs. the spread. The team averaged 72 points per game in this stretch.
Through their last five games as the betting underdog, the Phoenix have a strong record vs the spread going 3-2. Their straight up mark in these contests is 1-4.
Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Buccaneers have a straight up record of 8-2. But, their mark vs the spread was just 6-4.