Southern Utah Thunderbirds vs Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Southern Utah vs Texas-Rio Grande Valley NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Edinburg.

Southern Utah vs Texas-Rio Grande Valley Prediction

Planning on watching today's Thunderbirds and Vaqueros game? Catch the action at UTRGV Fieldhouse in Edinburg, TX, as the Vaqueros hosts this showdown at 7:30 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 157.5 points, with Texas-Rio Grande Valley being favored by -2.5 over Southern Utah.

Southern Utah vs. Texas-Rio Grande Valley Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Southern Utah Thunderbirds at Texas-Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros
Where: Edinburg at UTRGV Fieldhouse
Date: Wednesday, December 18th
Betting Odds UTRGV -2.5, SUTAH +120 | UTRGV -147 O/U 157.5

Thunderbirds Preview: Will the Thunderbirds Win on the Road?

Southern Utah Thunderbirds Recent Game/Games

Southern Utah fell to 5-4 on the season after a 72-69 road loss to New Mexico State on Monday. The Thunderbirds, who entered the game as +5 point underdogs, managed to cover the spread but couldn't pull off the win.

Southern Utah led 33-32 at halftime but were outscored 40-36 in the second half. The game’s total points of 141 fell short of the 146-point O/U line.

Thunderbirds Offense Breakdown

Southern Utah put up 69 points in their last game, shooting 41% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 47.5%. They connected on 8 of 26 threes, hitting 30.8%, and were strong from the free-throw line, making 11 of 13 attempts for 84.6%.

Christian Cook and Dominique Ford each scored 19 points, with Ford knocking down 4 threes. Peter Filipovity added 18 points and 9 rebounds, while Brock Felder was efficient, shooting 83.3% from the field and grabbing 7 boards.

Thunderbirds Team Defense

Southern Utah's defense gave up 72 points, with the opposing team shooting 44% from the field, hitting 26 of 58 shots. Inside the arc, they allowed 20 of 41 shots to fall, a 48% success rate.

From three-point range, Southern Utah's defense saw the other team make 6 of 17 attempts, a 35% shooting performance. They also sent the opposition to the free-throw line 16 times, where they converted 14, an 87% clip. The Thunderbirds gave up 10 offensive rebounds.

Vaqueros Preview: Do the Vaqueros Have What it Takes at Home?

Texas-Rio Grande Valley’s season record dropped to 4-4 after a tough 84-52 home loss to Lamar on Saturday. The Vaqueros, who were -6.5 favorites, not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.

Trailing 46-23 at halftime, UTRGV managed 29 points in the 2nd half while allowing 38. The game’s total points of 136 fell short of the O/U line of 154.5.

Vaqueros Offense Breakdown

Texas-Rio Grande Valley struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 52 points on 33.3% shooting from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 37%, largely due to their poor performance from beyond the arc, where they hit only 5 of 29 attempts (17.2%).

Inside the arc, the Vaqueros shot 52%, and they were nearly perfect from the free-throw line, hitting 11 of 12 attempts (91.7%). Alexis Marmolejos led the way with 18 points, while Ja'Sean Jackson added 15, shooting 63.6% from the field. Andrew Holifield and Adam Hamilton each contributed 12 points, with Hamilton connecting on 75% of his shots.

Vaqueros Team Defense

Even though Texas-Rio Grande Valley gave up 84 points, they held their opponent to just 33% shooting from the field, including a tough 17% from beyond the arc, with only 5 made threes on 29 attempts.

From the free-throw line, the Vaqueros' opponent was nearly perfect, hitting 11 of 12 for 91%. Texas-Rio Grande Valley also allowed 10 offensive rebounds in the game.

Thunderbirds vs Vaqueros Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last three road contests, the Thunderbirds offense has averaged 59 points per game while allowing an average of 87. Southern Utah posted an overall record of 0-3 while going 1-2 ATS.
When looking at their past five home matchups, Texas-Rio Grande Valley has an ATS record of 4-1 while averaging 75 per game. The team went 1-4 overall in these games.
The last five games that Southern Utah was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 2-3 while going 0-5 straight up.
Texas-Rio Grande Valley has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 4-1 SU and 4-1 ATS in their last five games.