PFW Mastodons (2-0) vs Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (1-2)
Game Info: Friday, November 17, 2023 at 4:30 pm (Desert Diamond Arena)
Betting Odds: PFW Mastodons -1 -- Over/Under: 148.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Northern Arizona Lumberjacks and the Fort Wayne Mastodons meet Friday in college basketball action from Gila River Arena. Northern Arizona is fresh off a Wednesday game versus Seattle. In that one the Lumberjacks eked out a two-point win. As for Fort Wayne, they’re sitting at 3-0 overall following their latest win over Texas A&M-Commerce. Check back all season long for free college basketball picks at Pick Dawgz.
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
The Lumberjacks had an unenviable matchup in their opener versus UConn. That one went just about as expected: Northern Arizona fell in a 95-52 blowout, shooting just 33.9 percent from the field with a 50-27 rebounding deficit. Game two against Grand Canyon was another loss, this time 89-59. The Lumberjacks scored just 26 second-half points in that one.
On Wednesday versus Seattle in game three, Northern Arizona managed to get their first win of the season. The Lumberjacks scored 40 points in the first half, then just 22 in the second but held on for a 62-60 win. Trenton McLaughlin led the team on 19 points with six rebounds, and Liam Lloyd dishes 12 assists with seven boards of his own.
Fort Wayne Mastodons
Over on the Fort Wayne side, they’ve been pretty impressive in three games so far. The Mastodons opened up with an 82-74 win over DePaul, shooting 44.4 percent from the field and bagging 12 steals on 21 Blue Demons turnovers. Fort Wayne kept it rolling in game two with a 130-34 blowout victory versus an overmatched Andrews team.
Fort Wayne took on Texas A&M Commerce in game three and bagged another victory. After a 46-30 edge in the first half, the Mastodons scored 40 more points in an 86-64 result. Tops in scoring was Rasheed Bello with 29 points and four rebounds. Anthony Roberts added 17 points with 10 boards for a double-double.
ANDREW’S FREE PICK
I’m going to stay with the Mastodons. To be fair, Fort Wayne has had a couple of relatively easy matchups so far. That said, they’ve performed very well overall in the early-going. The Mastodons have hit 82 or more points in all three games, and they’re coming off an excellent 51.6 percent shooting versus Texas A&M-Commerce. There are still a few areas to clean up, such as the 32-30 rebounding deficit and the sketchy 70.6 percent from the foul line, but Fort Wayne shouldn’t have too many issues scoring against Northern Arizona. It’ll be hard for the Lumberjacks to hold a lead if the Mastodons get going, but we should still have a close game here.
Andrew’s Pick Fort Wayne Mastodons -1
AUTHOR: Andrew Jett
Mitch's Take...
