VMI Keydets vs Western Carolina Catamounts Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Western Carolina vs VMI NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Lexington.

Western Carolina vs VMI Prediction

Planning on watching today's Catamounts and Keydets game? Catch the action at Cameron Hall in Lexington, VA, as the Keydets hosts this showdown at 6:00 ET on ESPN+. This Southern conference matchup has an over/under of 147 points, and VMI is favored to win by -3 at home vs. Western Carolina.

Western Carolina vs. VMI Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Western Carolina Catamounts at VMI Keydets
Where: Lexington at Cameron Hall
Date: Wednesday, January 15th
Betting Odds VAMIL -3, WCAR +137 | VAMIL -163 O/U 147

Catamounts Preview: Can the Western Carolina Offense Score Enough on the Road?

Western Carolina Catamounts Recent Game/Games

Western Carolina improved to 2-11 on the season with an 85-82 win over Mercer on Sunday. The Catamounts were +4.5 underdogs at home but managed to pull off the upset.

After trailing 44-40 at halftime, Western Carolina turned things around in the second half, outscoring Mercer 45-38. The total points for the game reached 167, surpassing the O/U line of 154.5.

Catamounts Offense Breakdown

Western Carolina put up 85 points in their last game, shooting 46.8% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 54.8%. They hit 64.3% of their two-point attempts, while connecting on 32.4% from beyond the arc, making 11 threes in total. At the free-throw line, they were solid, converting 16 of 20 attempts for 80%.

Alex Holt led the way with 21 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 7 of 11 from the field. Ahmad Robinson added 18 points and 13 rebounds, despite shooting just 36.8% overall and 25% from three. Ice Emery contributed 16 points, hitting 4 of 8 from deep, while Cord Stansberry knocked down 3 of 5 threes, finishing with 17 points.

Catamounts Team Defense

Western Carolina's defense gave up 82 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 46% from the field. They allowed 64% shooting on two-point attempts, as the other team went 18/28 from inside the arc.

From three-point range, Western Carolina's opponents shot 32%, hitting 11 of 34 attempts. The Catamounts also sent the other team to the free-throw line 20 times, where they converted 16 of those attempts, an 80% success rate.

Keydets Preview: Can the Keydets Grab a Win at Home?

VMI’s season struggles continued with a 91-66 loss to Chattanooga on Sunday, dropping their record to 2-11. The Keydets entered the game as +13.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 157, surpassing the O/U line of 149.5.

VMI fell behind early, trailing 51-22 at halftime. They showed some fight in the second half, outscoring the Mocs 44-40, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the large deficit.

Keydets Offense Breakdown

VMI's offense struggled overall in their last game, shooting just 36.4% from the field and 26.1% from three-point range, finishing with 66 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 41.8%, but they did manage to hit 74.1% of their free throws, going 20/27 from the line.

Honor Huff was a standout performer, scoring 31 points on 9/12 shooting, including 9/10 from three-point range. Augustinas Kiudulas added 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Jaylen Pazon contributed 15 points in just 15 minutes of action.

Keydets Team Defense

VMI's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 91 points while allowing the opposing team to shoot 62% from the field. The Keydets allowed 31 made field goals on 50 attempts.

From beyond the arc, VMI's opponents hit 19 threes on 28 attempts, a 67% shooting performance. They also went 10/12 from the free-throw line, shooting 83%.

Catamounts vs Keydets Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last ten road games, Western Carolina has an ATS record of just 5-5. However, their overall record was 2-8 while averaging 63 points per game.
In their last five home games, VMI has averaged 67 points per game while allowing 82. The team's record in this stretch was 0-5 while going 4-1.
Looking back on the team's last three games as the underdog, the Catamounts have a straight up record of 1-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 2-1.
Looking back on the team's last three games as the favorite, the Keydets have a straight up record of 0-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 0-3.