Winthrop Eagles (4-4) vs Furman Paladins (6-2)
Tuesday, December 07, 2021 at 7:00 pm
My math model only favors Furman by 0.44 points in this game and the Paladins are a money-burning 2-10-1 ATS in their last thirteen road affairs and 3-12-1 ATS in their last sixteen games following a win. In contrast, Winthrop is a profitable 18-8 ATS in its previous 26 games versus teams with a winning record, including 14-4 ATS against .601 or greater opposition. Winthrop's offense revolves around former Tennessee transfer D.J. Burns, Jr., who leads the team in scoring (16.8 ppg) and is second in rebounds (4.4 rpg). Burns has shot .500 or better in all eight games this season (32nd nationally in FG%) and is 13-of-20 from the floor over the last two games. Winthrop's frontcourt got even better during the offseason when first-year head coach Mark Prosser brought redshirt junior Corey Hightower with him from East Carolina. Hightower's versatility is best illustrated by the fact that he is third on the team in scoring (12.3 ppg), leads the team in rebounding (5.6 rpg) and is shooting 48.5% from beyond the arc. The Eagles' backcourt is anchored by East Tennessee State graduate transfer Patrick Good, who is second on the team in scoring (14.3 ppg) and is shooting 51.4% from the field and 46.2% from three-point territory. Good ranks 13th nationally in threes per game and 15th in three-point field goal percentage. The Eagles have been 8.1 points per game better than average offensively this season and is ranked 43rd in the country in field goal percentage (48.21), 25th in threes per game (10.4) and 22nd in three-point field goal percentage (39.34). The Eagles' production has been even better at home where they are averaging 85.0 points per game on shooting 52.1% from the floor and 42.9% from beyond the arc. Winthrop is averaging 34.4 points per game from the bench this season, which ranks 13th in the country (Cornell leads the country at 44.6 ppg). Don't be fooled by Winthrop's 3-4 record as the Eagles have played a substantially more difficult non-conference schedule that included games against Washington, Washington State and Vanderbilt. Winthrop has won four straight at home in this series and two of the last five meetings have been decided by a single point. The Eagles are 400-156 (.719) inside the friendly confines of Winthrop Coliseum, including going 17-1 in their last eighteen home games (6-0 L/6). Grab the points with Winthrop and invest with confidence.