The Jacksonville State Gamecocks host the Delaware Blue Hens in a Thursday night Conference USA battle. The game tips off at 7:00 p.m. ET in Jacksonville, Alabama.
The Gamecocks are listed as 8.5-point home favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at 134.5 points. Let’s dive into a full preview, prediction, and pick for this Conference USA showdown.
Jacksonville State vs. Delaware prediction, preview
Jacksonville State is on a tough losing skid. The Gamecocks were towards the top of the CUSA standings a few weeks ago but have rattled off four straight losses. They now hold just a .500 record in conference play and are in a jumble of teams in the middle of the conference. For any CUSA team, it will take a conference tournament victory to get into March Madness. That is looking increasingly like a longshot for Jacksonville State in its current form. It will be tough for any team to beat Liberty, the clear top team in the conference. If the Gamecocks are to go on a run, it will be on the back of Mostapha El Moutaouakki. El Moutaouakki is the Gamecocks’ leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 19 points and seven boards per game.
It has been a tough first season in Conference USA for Delaware. The Blue Hens have been in the CAA for many years, but after jumping up to the FBS level in football, they have joined CUSA in both sports. In their first season in this conference, Delaware currently sits in last place with a 5-11 record. Delaware has a solid guard duo, Christian Bliss and Justyn Fernandez, both of whom are averaging over 16 points per game. However, even those players have been inconsistent throughout the season. Delaware has struggled to get anything going on either end of the floor. This has been a tough season for the Blue Hens, and they could take some time to adjust to this new conference.
Jacksonville State vs. Delaware pick
My best bet for this game is on the under 134.5 points. These teams both struggle to score. Jacksonville State ranks 237th in the nation in offensive rating, while Delaware ranks 248th. Not only do the teams struggle to score, but they both play at a very slow pace. Delaware ranks 357th in adjusted pace out of 365 Division I teams. Jacksonville State isn’t much quicker, ranking 299th in adjusted pace this season. As a result, these are the bottom two teams in Conference USA in field goals made per game. These teams just struggle to score on every level, and this could turn into a really sluggish game. Without the need to try to keep up with a fast-paced or high-scoring opponent, both teams should be extremely methodical. That should lead to this game finishing under the low total of 134.5 points.
