Eastern Michigan at Western Michigan: 3/5/21 College Basketball Picks and Prediction
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Western Michigan Broncos (5-15) vs Eastern Michigan Eagles (5-12)
Game Info: Friday, March 5, 2021 at 7:00 pm (University Arena in Read Fieldhouse)
Betting Odds: Western Michigan Broncos -2.5 -- Over/Under: 137 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Eastern Michigan Eagles will travel to University Arena (MI) to take on the Western Michigan Broncos this Friday night in College Basketball action.
The Eastern Michigan Eagles dropped to 5-12 on the season after being defeated by the Ball State Cardinals, 100-65, this past Tuesday night. Eastern Michigan was dominated on both ends of the court against Ball State and had no chance of fighting back into the game after going into halftime trailing by a 50-22 margin. Eastern Michigan shot 36.7% from the field and 30.8% from beyond the arc while Ball State shot 52.1% from the field and 36.7% from beyond the arc. Eastern Michigan was outrebounded by Ball State by a 48-29 margin while both the Eagles and Cardinals committed 10 turnovers each. Leading the way for the Eagles was Ty Groce who had 21 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, & 1 block.
On the season, Eastern Michigan is averaging 70.8 ppg on 41.5% shooting from the field. The Eagles are averaging 7.1 three-pointers per game on 30.7% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Eastern Michigan has been led by Ty Groce (15.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.4 spg), Bryce McBride (13.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.4 spg), Yeikson Montero (12.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.4 apg, 2.2 spg), & Noah Morgan (8.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.0 spg).
Defensively, Eastern Michigan is allowing their opponents to average 76.4 ppg on 47.9% shooting from the field. The Eagles have a rebound margin of -4.4 and a turnover margin of 2.9.
The Western Michigan Broncos snapped their 4-game losing streak and improved to 5-15 on the season after defeating the Northern Illinois Huskies, 73-63, this past Tuesday night. Western Michigan was outstanding offensively against Northern Illinois and had no trouble securing the victory after taking a 66-55 lead with 8:00 minutes left in regulation. Western Michigan shot 53.2% from the field and 52.4% from beyond the arc while Northern Illinois shot 37.1% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. Western Michigan lost the turnover battle by a 19-8 margin, however, the Broncos outrebounded Northern Illinois by a 38-37 margin in the victory. Leading the way for the Broncos was B. Artis White who had 15 points, 7 rebounds, & 1 assist.
On the season, Western Michigan is averaging 63.1 ppg on 43.1% shooting from the field. The Broncos are averaging 6.7 three-pointers per game on 32.8% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Western Michigan has been led by B. Artis White (14.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.4 apg), Greg Lee (12.9 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.4 apg), Titus Wright (8.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg), & Jason Whitens (5.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.2 apg).
Defensively, Western Michigan is allowing their opponents to average 72.3 ppg on 43.4% shooting from the field. The Broncos have a rebound margin of -3.0 and a turnover margin of -4.2.
The Eagles are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400, however, are just 5-15-1 ATS in their last 21 games overall. The Broncos are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record and just 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games.
Eastern Michigan is generally a solid team in the MAC, however, the Eagles have really struggled this season as they come into this game losing 8 of their last 9 games and have been awful on the defensive end as they currently rank just 294th in scoring defense & 327th in defensive FG%. Western Michigan also has had a long season and have really struggled on the offensive end of the court as the Broncos rank just 326th in scoring offense & 300th in FG%. Western Michigan has played better towards the end of the season, with included a shocking road win at Bowling Green, and between the fact that Eastern Michigan is 0-8 on the road and that I think the Broncos will have some success offensively against the Eagles defense that just surrendered 100 poitns to Ball State, I think the play here is to take Western Michigan to cover this small spread. Good Luck!
Brett’s Pick Western Michigan Broncos -2.5
AUTHOR: Brett Nault

Follow Brett Nault on Twitter @BrettCU05