East Tennessee State Buccaneers vs Samford Bulldogs Matchup

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

East Tennessee State vs Samford Prediction

Planning on watching today's Buccaneers and Bulldogs game? Catch the action at Pete Hanna Center in Homewood, AL, as the Bulldogs hosts this showdown at 6:00 ET on CBSS. The over/under for this Southern conference contest is set at 154.5 points, with Samford being favored by -5.5 at home against East Tennessee State.

East Tennessee State vs. Samford Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: East Tennessee State Buccaneers at Samford Bulldogs
Where: Homewood at Pete Hanna Center
Date: Saturday, January 18th
Betting Odds SAMF -5.5, ETNST +202 | SAMF -250 O/U 154.5

Buccaneers Preview: Will East Tennessee State Come Through as Road Underdogs?

East Tennessee State Buccaneers Recent Game/Games

The Buccaneers dropped to 8-8 on the season after a 73-70 road loss to Furman on Wednesday. Despite being +3.5 point underdogs, ETSU kept it close and covered the spread. The total points for the game went over the line of 140.5, finishing at 143.

ETSU led 36-35 at halftime but were outscored 38-34 in the second half. While they kept it close, the Buccaneers couldn’t pull off the upset on the road.

Buccaneers Offense Breakdown

East Tennessee State put up 70 points in their last game, shooting 41.8% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 47.3%. They hit 31.6% from three-point range, connecting on 6 of 19 attempts, and went 18 for 27 from the free-throw line, good for 66.7%.

The Buccaneers grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and dished out just 5 assists. PJay Smith Jr. and Quimari Peterson both scored 21 points, with Peterson shooting 38.1% overall. John Buggs III hit 4 of 6 from beyond the arc, finishing with 13 points.

Buccaneers Team Defense

East Tennessee State's defense gave up 73 points in their last game, with opponents shooting 44% from the field on 24 of 54 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 51% shooting, as the other team went 17 for 33 on two-point shots.

From three-point range, the Buccaneers' defense held their opponents to 33% shooting, with 7 made threes on 21 attempts. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 25 times, where they hit 18 for 72%. East Tennessee State gave up 13 offensive rebounds.

Bulldogs Preview: Will the Bulldogs Find a Way to Win at Home?

Samford improved to 13-3 on the season with a narrow 75-74 win over Mercer on Wednesday. The Bulldogs were -5.5 favorites going into the game but didn’t cover the spread.

Samford led 41-38 at halftime and scored 34 points in the second half while allowing 36. The game’s total points of 149 fell short of the 164.5 O/U line.

Bulldogs Offense Breakdown

Samford's offense put up 75 points in their last game, shooting 45% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 50%. They hit 55% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 25% of their threes (5/20). At the free-throw line, they shot 59.3%, making 16 of 27 attempts.

Ahmad Robinson led the way with 29 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 50% overall and 37.5% from three. Tyler Johnson added 20 points, hitting 5 of 10 from deep, while Alex Holt contributed 13 points and 12 rebounds. Samford grabbed 12 offensive boards and dished out 12 assists as a team.

Bulldogs Team Defense

Samford's defense gave up 74 points in their last game, with opponents shooting 37% from the field on 23 of 61 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 14 two-point baskets on 32 attempts, a 43% shooting rate.

From three-point range, Samford's opponents hit 9 of 29 shots, shooting 31%. They also sent them to the free-throw line 24 times, where they made 19 free throws, a 79% success rate. Samford gave up 14 offensive rebounds.

Buccaneers vs Bulldogs Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

When looking at their past ten road matchups, East Tennessee State has an ATS record of 4-6 while averaging 70 per game. The team went 3-7 overall in these games.
In their last five games at home, the Bulldogs have a straight up record of 4-1 while going 1-4 vs the spread. The team averaged 82 points per game in this stretch.
As the betting underdog, the Buccaneers have an ATS mark of just 2-3 in their last five games. East Tennessee State posted a straight up mark of 1-4 in these matchups.
As the betting favorite, the Bulldogs have an ATS mark of just 6-4 in their last ten games. Samford posted a straight up mark of 10-0 in these matchups.