Northern Arizona Lumberjacks vs Southern Utah Thunderbirds Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Northern Arizona vs Southern Utah NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Cedar City.

Northern Arizona vs Southern Utah Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Lumberjacks versus the Thunderbirds? Tip off is at at 4:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at America First Events Center in Cedar City, UT. This non-conference matchup has an over/under of 151.5 points, and Southern Utah is favored by -6 vs. Northern Arizona.

Northern Arizona vs. Southern Utah Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at Southern Utah Thunderbirds
Where: Cedar City at America First Events Center
Date: Saturday, December 21st
Betting Odds SUTAH -6, NARZ +220 | SUTAH -275 O/U 151.5

Lumberjacks Preview: Can Northern Arizona Stun the Crowd at America First Events Center?

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks Recent Game/Games

The Lumberjacks dropped to 4-4 on the season after an 86-76 loss to Pepperdine on Saturday. Northern Arizona entered the game as +4 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread.

After trailing 44-42 at halftime, the Lumberjacks managed only 34 points in the 2nd half while allowing 42. The game’s total points of 162 went over the pre-game O/U line of 146.

Lumberjacks Offense Breakdown

Northern Arizona's offense put up 76 points in their last game, shooting 41.8% from the field. They connected on 42.9% of their threes, hitting 12 of 28 attempts, while their effective field goal percentage stood at 50.7%.

Trent McLaughlin led the way with 26 points, knocking down 7 threes at a 46.7% clip. Boubacar Coulibaly was perfect from the field, going 10 for 10, and Moe Odum added 20 points, hitting all 3 of his three-point attempts.

Lumberjacks Team Defense

Northern Arizona struggled defensively, giving up 86 points on 54% shooting from the field. They allowed 32 made field goals on 59 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Northern Arizona allowed 7 threes on 13 attempts, a 53% success rate. They also sent their opponents to the line 20 times, where they converted 15 free throws.

Thunderbirds Preview: Can Southern Utah Lock in a Home Win?

Southern Utah Thunderbirds Recent Game/Games

Southern Utah’s season record dropped to 5-5 after a 78-73 road loss to Texas-Rio Grande Valley on Wednesday. The Thunderbirds went into the game as +1.5 point underdogs and didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 151, falling short of the 155.5 O/U line.

After trailing 34-28 at halftime, Southern Utah scored 45 points in the 2nd half but allowed 44 points, which wasn’t enough to secure the win.

Thunderbirds Offense Breakdown

Southern Utah's offense put up 73 points in their last game, shooting 42.4% from the field and 19% from three-point range, hitting just 4 of 21 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 45.5%, but they were solid from the free-throw line, connecting on 81.2% of their shots (13/16). The Thunderbirds also grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and dished out 16 assists.

Trey Miller led the way with 21 points on 7 of 10 shooting, adding 7 assists. Jamir Simpson contributed 20 points, while Jamari Sibley, Dominique Ford, and K.T. Raimey each added 16 points. Howie Fleming Jr. pulled down 11 rebounds to go along with his 11 points.

Thunderbirds Team Defense

Southern Utah's defense struggled inside, giving up 66% shooting on two-point attempts, as they allowed 78 points in their previous game. The Thunderbirds did manage to limit the damage from beyond the arc, holding their opponent to just 20% shooting on threes, with only 5 makes on 25 attempts.

From the free-throw line, Southern Utah's opponent went 15/23, shooting 65%. The Thunderbirds gave up 8 offensive rebounds in the game.

Lumberjacks vs Thunderbirds Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last ten games away from home, the Lumberjacks have a straight up record of 4-6 while going 3-7 vs. the spread. The team averaged 70 points per game in this stretch.
Through their last ten home games, Southern Utah has an ATS record of just 6-4. However, their overall record was 3-7 while averaging 69 points per game.
Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Lumberjacks have gone 1-4 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-4.
The Thunderbirds have played well in their last three games as the betting favorite, going 3-0 straight up and 3-0 against the spread.