With a conference championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament on the line, the No. 1 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks tangle with the No. 2 Northwestern State Demons in tonight’s Southland Conference title game.
Each of the top two seeds had a bye to the semifinals, and while they took care of business with a straight-up win in their only game of the tournament neither could cover against the spread. The home team in this series is 5-0 SU in the last five meetings with the Lumberjacks holding a slight 3-2 ATS edge.
The Lumberjacks are 27-3 so far on the season, and 1-1 ATS vs. the number. The Demons, meanwhile, are 22-8 and 0-2 ATS. OVER/UNDER bettors have seen Stephen F. Austin go 2-0 and the Demons go 0-1-1 on the totals.
View Northwestern State vs Stephen F Austin Odds and Stats.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Lumberjacks sit at No. 78 in the current college hoops power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Demons sit at No. 76 on the same chart. The computers running our scores simulations have concluded that the Lumberjacks will win this game 82-77.
How They Match Up:
In the paint, the rebound battle will feature Stephen F. Austin's No. 103-rated squad against Northwestern State's No. 10-rated roster. And in long-range shooting, Stephen F. Austin rates No. 333 in the country with 4.2 per game, while their foes tonight rank No. 167 nationally with 6.1 per match.
Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Northwestern State owns the country's No. 319-rated mark, allowing 76.4 points per game on the highway. Stephen F. Austin, on the other hand, rates No. 217 in scoring at home.
Northwestern State was a 55-52 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against Sam Houston State. They failed to cover the 8-point spread as favorites. Northwestern State got 11 points from DeQuan Hicks en route to a 55-52 victory over Sam Houston State on Friday at Merrell Center.
Stephen F. Austin was a 68-57 Sportsbook in their most recent outing at home against Southeastern Louisiana. They failed to cover the 13-point spread as favorites. Stephen F. Austin earned a 68-57 victory over Southeastern Louisiana on Friday, getting 16 points from Antonio Bostic at Merrell Center.
