Loyola Marymount Lions vs Southern Jaguars Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Southern vs Loyola Marymount NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Los Angeles.

Southern vs Loyola Marymount Prediction

Looking to win big? The Jaguars and Lions face off at 10:00 ET on ESPN+. The Lions are hosting the game at Gersten Pavilion in Los Angeles, CA. This non-conference matchup has an over/under of 138.5 points, and Loyola Marymount is favored by -7.5 vs. Southern.

Southern vs. Loyola Marymount Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Southern Jaguars at Loyola Marymount Lions
Where: Los Angeles at Gersten Pavilion
Date: Friday, December 20th
Betting Odds LOYMRY -7.5, SOUTH +264 | LOYMRY -346 O/U 138.5

Jaguars Preview: No Pressure for Southern as Away Dogs

Southern Jaguars Recent Game/Games

Southern dropped to 2-5 on the season after a 74-61 road loss to Ole Miss on Tuesday, December 17th. Despite being +23 point underdogs, the Jaguars kept the game closer than expected, covering the spread. The total points for the game were 135, which fell short of the 143.5 O/U line.

Southern trailed 42-33 at halftime and managed to score 28 points in the 2nd half while allowing 32. Though they didn’t pull off the upset, the Jaguars’ ability to keep the game closer than anticipated could be a positive takeaway.

Jaguars Offense Breakdown

Southern's offense struggled in their last game, shooting just 37.9% from the field and 30.4% from three-point range, finishing with 61 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 44.8%, and they hit only 55.6% of their free throws.

Jaylen Murray led the way with 18 points, hitting 6 of 7 threes, while Dre Davis added 14 points, shooting 50% from deep. Derrick Tezeno was efficient, going 5 of 6 from the field and perfect from three-point range.

Jaguars Team Defense

Southern's defense gave up 74 points in their last game, with opponents shooting 41% from the field (22/53). They allowed 42% shooting on two-pointers, with the other team hitting 12 of 28.

From beyond the arc, the opposition went 10/25, good for 40%. Southern also sent them to the line 29 times, where they made 20 free throws (69%). The Jaguars gave up 11 offensive rebounds.

Lions Preview: Can Loyola Marymount Secure a Home Victory?

Loyola Marymount improved to 5-4 on the season with a 60-58 win over UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday. The Lions were -2 point favorites going in, and the win resulted in an ATS push.

LMU led 33-30 at halftime and narrowly outscored the Gauchos 27-28 in the second half. The game’s total points of 118 fell well short of the 141.5 O/U line.

Lions Offense Breakdown

Loyola Marymount's offense put up 60 points in their last game, shooting 47.3% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 50.9%, with a strong 58.3% shooting inside the arc, but they struggled from three-point range, hitting just 5 of 19 attempts (26.3%).

Caleb Stone-Carrawell and Stephan Swenson each contributed 15 points, with Swenson knocking down 3 of 5 from deep. The Lions managed only 5 offensive rebounds and 4 free-throw attempts, connecting on 3 of them.

Lions Team Defense

Despite giving up 58 points, Loyola Marymount allowed their opponent to shoot 47% from the field, with 21 of those baskets coming from two-point range at a 58% clip.

From beyond the arc, the Lions held their opponent to 5/19 shooting, or 26%. They also sent them to the line just 4 times, where they made 3 free throws.

Jaguars vs Lions Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last three road games, Southern has averaged 68 points per game while allowing 70. The team's record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 3-0 vs. the spread.
In their last three home games, Loyola Marymount has averaged 67 points per game while allowing 74. The team's record in this stretch was 1-2 while going 2-1.
Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the Jaguars have a straight up record of 4-6. But, their mark vs the spread was just 7-3.
Through their previous three contests as the betting favorite, the Lions have a strong record of 3-0. Their record vs the spread in these matchups is 0-1-2.