Texas-Arlington at Louisiana-Lafayette: 2/22/21 College Basketball Picks and Prediction
Photo by Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (14-7) vs Texas-Arlington Mavericks (11-11)
Game Info: Monday, February 22, 2021 at 6:00 pm (Cajun Dome)
Betting Odds: Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns -5 -- Over/Under: 146 Click Here for the Latest Odds
The UT Arlington Mavericks will travel to the Cajundome to take on the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns this Monday night in College Basketball action.
The UT Arlington Mavericks lost their 2nd straight game and dropped to 11-11 on the season after being defeated by the Texas State Bobcats, 79-68, on February 13th. UT Arlington struggled on the defensive end against Texas State and could not fight back after going into halftime trailing by a 42-30 margin. UT Arlington shot 43.1% from the field and 50.0% from beyond the arc while Texas State shot 48.2% from the field and 53.8% from beyond the arc. UT Arlington was outrebounded by Texas State by a 39-22 margin and lost the turnover battle by a 12-11 margin. Leading the way for the Mavericks was Shahada Wells who had 17 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assits, & 1 steal.
On the season, UT Arlington is averaging 73.6 ppg on 40.9% shooting from the field. The Mavericks are averaging 9.2 three-pointers per game on 35.5% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, UT Arlington has been led by Shahada Wells (16.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.3 apg, 2.1 spg), Sam Griffin (13.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.5 apg), Jordan Phillips (7.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.4 apg), & Nicolas Elame (7.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.8 apg).
Defensively, UT Arlington is allowing their opponents to average 69.7 ppg on 42.1% shooting from the field. The Mavericks have a rebound margin of -0.6 and a turnover margin of 2.3.
The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns snapped a 3-game losing streak and improved to 14-7 on the season after defeating the UL Monroe Warhawks, 88-72, on February 13th. Louisiana was outstanding on the offensive end against UL Monroe and had no trouble pulling away in the 2nd half after taking a 67-47 lead with 11:44 left in regulation. Louisiana shot 56.6% from the field and 63.6% from beyond the arc while UL Monroe shot 50.0% from the field and 27.8% from beyond the arc. Louisiana outrebounded UL Monroe by a 31-21 margin and forced 15 turnovers in the victory. Leading the way for the Ragin’ Cajuns was Mylik Wilson who had 20 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 block, & 2 steals.
On the season, Louisiana is averaging 75.3 ppg on 45.2% shooting from the field. The Ragin’ Cajuns are averaging 7.3 three-pointers per game on 35.7% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Louisiana has been led by Cedric Russell (17.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.3 apg), Mylik Wilson (13.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 2.8 apg, 2.1 spg, 1.0 bpg), Theo Akwuba (11.2 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 1.0 apg, 2.8 bpg), & Dou Gueye (10.0 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.6 apg).
Defensively, Louisiana is allowing their opponents to average 73.1 ppg on 43.0% shooting from the field. The Ragin’ Cajuns have a rebound margin of 5.4 and a turnover margin of -3.0.
The Mavericks are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games overall and 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games. The Ragin’ Cajuns are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 Monday games, however, are just 1-3-2 ATS in their last 6 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
UT Arlington comes into this game ranked 124th in scoring offense, however, this is a team that heavily relies on their three-pointers to fall as that Mavericks rank just 302nd in FG%. Louisiana is a team that is led by their offense, however, should also have an advantage on the boards against the Mavericks and as UT Arlington comes into this game with a just a 3-7 record on the road, I think Louisiana does enough in this one to cover this small home spread. Good Luck!
Brett’s Pick Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns -5
AUTHOR: Brett Nault

Follow Brett Nault on Twitter @BrettCU05