Eastern Kentucky Colonels vs Jacksonville State Gamecocks Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Jacksonville State vs Eastern Kentucky NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Berea.

Jacksonville State vs Eastern Kentucky Prediction

Betting on today's Gamecocks and Colonels game? Catch the action at Seabury Center Arena in Berea, KY, as the Colonels hosts this showdown at 2:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 147.5 points, with Eastern Kentucky being favored by -1.5 over Jacksonville State.

Jacksonville State vs. Eastern Kentucky Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Jacksonville State Gamecocks at Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Where: Berea at Seabury Center Arena
Date: Saturday, December 21st
Betting Odds EKENT -1.5, JAXST -108 | EKENT -114 O/U 147.5

Gamecocks Preview: Can the Gamecocks Pull Off a Road Win?

Jacksonville State dropped to 4-5 on the season after an 83-72 road loss to Missouri on Tuesday. The Gamecocks entered the game as +16.5 point underdogs but managed to keep the game closer than expected.

Jacksonville State trailed 41-40 at halftime but was outscored 42-32 in the second half. The total points for the game reached 155, surpassing the over/under line of 145.5.

Gamecocks Offense Breakdown

Jacksonville State put up 72 points in their latest game, shooting 45% from the field and hitting 40.9% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 53.3%, and they grabbed 16 offensive rebounds, though they only managed 9 assists as a team.

Jacob Crews was a standout, hitting 6 of 9 threes and finishing with 19 points in just 20 minutes. Mark Mitchell and Jaron Pierre Jr. each added 18 points, with Mitchell also dishing out 6 assists.

Gamecocks Team Defense

Jacksonville State's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 83 points on 49% shooting from the field. They allowed the opposing team to hit 50% of their two-point attempts, going 16/32.

From beyond the arc, Jacksonville State's defense allowed 12 threes on 25 attempts, a 48% shooting performance. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 22 times, where they converted 15 of those attempts.

Colonels Preview: Will the Colonels Secure A Victory as Home Favorites?

Eastern Kentucky improved to 4-5 on the season with an 81-66 home win over Eastern Illinois on Saturday. The Colonels entered the game as 10-point favorites and covered the spread, while the total points of 147 went over the pre-game line of 141.5.

EKU led 39-28 at halftime and added 42 points in the 2nd half, allowing 38 points to the Panthers.

Colonels Offense Breakdown

Eastern Kentucky's offense was firing from deep in their last game, hitting 17 threes at a 44.7% clip. They finished with an effective field goal percentage of 58.1%, shooting 45.2% overall from the field.

Turner Buttry was perfect from beyond the arc, going 4-for-4, while Tyler Andrews connected on 5-of-7 threes. Nakyel Shelton led the team with 22 points and 8 rebounds, and the Colonels dished out 21 assists as a team.

Colonels Team Defense

Eastern Kentucky's defense gave up 66 points while allowing the opposing team to shoot 45% from the field. They managed to limit two-point shooting to 45% on 11/24 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Eastern Kentucky allowed 17 three-pointers on 38 attempts, a 44% shooting rate. The opposing team also went 8/12 from the free-throw line.

Gamecocks vs Colonels Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last five road games, Jacksonville State has averaged 76 points per game while allowing 74. The team's record in this stretch was 2-3 while going 5-0.
Through their last five home games, Eastern Kentucky has an ATS record of just 2-3. However, their overall record was 2-3 while averaging 72 points per game.
Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Gamecocks have gone 5-4-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-9.
Looking back on the team's last five games as the favorite, the Colonels have a straight up record of 2-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 2-3.