UNC Greensboro vs Elon Prediction College Basketball Picks 12/21/24

The UNC Greensboro Spartans are visiting the Elon Phoenix on Saturday, December 21st at the Schar Center. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s an UNC Greensboro Spartans vs Elon Phoenix Prediction.

Elon Phoenix Preview

The Elon Phoenix have a 7-3 record this season and are coming off a 58-84 loss in East Tennessee. The Phoenix are 7-1 against the spread, and 3-5 in over/under, while having a 3-0 home record. 

Offensively, Elon is averaging 78.3 points per game, which ranks 129th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 67.1 points per game (80th). The Phoenix shoot with 46.5% from the field (126th), and with 34.3% from beyond the arc (160th). The Phoenix shoot with 68.2% from the free-throw line (269th), and are grabbing 43.6 rebounds per game, which is the 5th-best in the league.

TJ Simpkins leads Elon in scoring with an average of 15.2 points and 3.2 rebounds, while Nick Dorn adds 14.9 points and 3.8 rebounds.

UNC Greensboro Spartans Preview

The UNC Greensboro Spartans have a 6-5 record this season and are coming off an 86-37 win over William Peace. The Spartans are 6-3 against the spread, and 4-5 in over/under, while they have a 1-3 road record. 

Offensively, UNC Greensboro is averaging 72.1 points per game, which ranks 260th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 63.5 points per game (23rd). The Spartans shoot with 42.6% from the field (288th), and with 36.3% from beyond the arc (93rd). The Spartans shoot with 73.2% from the free-throw line (127th), and are grabbing 38.8 rebounds per game (78th).

Kenyon Giles leads UNC Greensboro in scoring, with an average of 16 points, while Donovan Atwell adds 13.3 points and 3.1 rebounds.

Why the Elon Phoenix will win

• Elon has won eight of its last nine home games following a road loss.
• North Carolina-Greensboro has lost five of its last six night games following a home win.
• North Carolina-Greensboro has lost the first half in seven of its last eight games against non-Conference opponents.

Why the North Carolina-Greensboro Spartans will win

• North Carolina-Greensboro has won each of its last six games against Elon.
• Elon has lost 11 of its last 13 games against the Southern Conference.
• North Carolina-Greensboro has won the first half in seven of its last eight night games against the Coastal Athletic Association.

Total Points Facts

• Sixteen of Elon’s last 17 games at Schar Center have produced a total of 136+ points.
• Four of North Carolina-Greensboro’s last five night games have produced a total of 133 or fewer points.

Matchup/League Facts

• Elon ranks T4th among Division 1 teams for rebounds per game this season (43.6).
• Elon ranks 356th among Division 1 teams for opponent turnovers per game this season (9.2).
• North Carolina-Greensboro ranks 23rd among Division 1 teams for opponent three-point percentage this season (28.2%).
• North Carolina-Greensboro ranks 25th among Division 1 teams for opponent points per game this season (63.5).

UNC Greensboro Spartans vs Elon Phoenix Prediction

UNC Greensboro is 6-0 in their last 6 meetings against Elon, but Elon is 6-3 against the spread in their last 9 meetings. Over is 4-1 in their last 5 meetings and in their most recent meeting last season, UNC Greensboro won 82-73 at home. In this UNC Greensboro Spartans vs Elon Phoenix Prediction, Elon is coming as -1 home favorites. Elon is better offensively, scoring 6.2 points more than UNC Greensboro, while UNC Greensboro is better defensively, allowing 3.6 points less. The Phoenix have a better field goal percentage, and are the 5th-best rebounding team in the nation, while being perfect at home. On the other hand, the Spartans are a bottom-80 team in field goal percentage and have been terrible on the road. The value here lies with the home team, so pick the Elon Phoenix and lay the points at home.