Southern vs Loyola Marymount Prediction College Basketball Picks 12/20/24

The Southern Jaguars are visiting the Loyola Marymount Lions on Friday, December 20th at the Gersten Pavilion. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Southern Jaguars vs Loyola Marymount Lions Prediction.

Loyola Marymount Lions Preview

The Loyola Marymount Lions have a 6-4 record this season and are coming off a 60-58 win over UC Santa Barbara. The Lions are 3-6 against the spread, and 2-7 in over/under while having a 4-2 home record. 

Offensively, Loyola Marymount is averaging 70.2 points per game, which ranks 269th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 68.9 points per game (122nd). The Lions shoot 42.5% from the field (289th) and 31.7% from beyond the arc (268th). The Lions shoot 71.4% from the free-throw line (174th) and are grabbing 35.4 rebounds per game (237th).

Will Johnston leads Loyola Marymount in scoring with an average of 14.8 points and a team-high 3.5 assists, while Jevon Porter adds 13.3 points and a team-high 8 rebounds.

Southern Jaguars Preview

The Jackson State Tigers have a 5-5 record this season and are coming off a 61-74 loss to Ole Miss. The Tigers are 5-2 against the spread, and 3-4 in over/under, while having a 2-5 road record.

Offensively, Jackson State is averaging 82.5 points per game, which ranks 49th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 70.2 points per game (153rd). The Tigers shoot 46.2% from the field (139th) and 34.4% from beyond the arc (153rd). The Tigers shoot 69.5% from the free-throw line (238th) and are grabbing 38.3 rebounds per game (90th).

Mitchell Jacobs leads Jackson State in scoring this season, with an average of 11.1 points and 3 assists, while Jordan Johnson adds 11.1 points. Southern will take on USC, Nebraska, Texas Southern, Prairie View, and Florida A&M after this game.

Why the Loyola Marymount Lions will win

• Southern has lost each of its last nine road night games against non-conference opponents.
• Loyola Marymount has won five of its last six games.
• Southern has lost the first half in eight of its last nine road night games against non-conference opponents.

Why the Southern Jaguars will win

• Southern has won each of its last five games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Loyola Marymount has lost each of its last six Friday night games.

Southern Jaguars vs Loyola Marymount Lions Prediction

In this Southern Jaguars vs Loyola Marymount Lions Prediction, Loyola Marymount is coming as -8 home favorites. Southern is better offensively, scoring 12.3 points more than Loyola Marymount, while Loyola Marymount is better defensively, allowing 1.3 points less. The Tigers are winning by an average of 12.3 points per game this season, while on the other hand, the Lions are struggling mightily with their shooting, ranking in the bottom 100 of the nation both in field goal and in 3-point percentage. The Jaguars also have the edge on the glass, as they are a top-100 team in rebounding, so the value here lies with the road team. Take the Southern Jaguars and lay the points on the road.

Nikos Lagouretos's Pick: Southern Jaguars +8