Nicholls vs Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 1/7/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders (12-3) vs. Nicholls State Colonels (9-6)
January 7, 2022 8:30 pm EDT
The Line: Nicholls State Colonels -3.5 / Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders +3.5; Over/Under: 147
(Get latest betting odds)
The Texas A&M-CC Islanders & Nicholls Colonels will square off at the Leonard E. Merrell Center in the Southland Conference Men’s Basketball Tip-Off this Friday night.
The Texas A&M-CC Islanders won their 2nd straight game and improved to 12-3 on the season after defeating the Northwestern State Demons, 89-67, on Thursday night. Texas A&M-CC was outstanding on both ends of the court against Northwestern State and had no trouble pulling away in the 2nd half after taking 53-39 lead with 16:58 left in regulation. Texas A&M-CC shot 51.7% from the field & 31.3% from beyond the arc while holding Northwestern State to just 38.2% from the field & 23.8% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Islanders was Isaac Mushila who had a double-double with 27 points & 13 rebounds.
On the season, Texas A&M-CC is averaging 80.9 ppg on 47.4% shooting from the field. The Islanders are averaging 6.6 three-pointers per game on 34.6% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Texas A&M-CC has been led by Isaac Mushila (15.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.1 spg), Trevian Tennyson (11.4 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.0 spg), Simeon Fryer (8.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.0 spg), & Jalen Jackson (8.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 3.5 apg, 1.7 spg).
Defensively, Texas A&M-CC is allowing their opponents to average 67.8 ppg on 42.2% shooting from the field. The Islanders have a rebound margin of 4.1 and a turnover margin of 5.7.
The Nicholls Colonels snapped a 2-game losing streak and improved to 9-6 on the season after defeating the Incarnate Word Cardinals, 87-56, on Thursday night. Nicholls dominated Incarnate Word in all aspects of the game and had no trouble securing the victory after going into halftime with a 50-17 lead. Nicholls shot 58.1% from the field & 37.5% shooting from beyond the arc while holding Incarnate Word to just 33.9% from the field & 23.1% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Colonels was RJ Glasper who had 20 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, & 1 steal.
On the season, Nicholls is averaging 80.7 ppg on 47.9% shooting from the field. The Colonels are averaging 9.3 three-pointers per game on 36.1% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Nicholls has been led by RJ Clasper (14.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.6 apg), Josh Morgan (12.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.4 apg), Drew Lutz (11.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.7 spg), & Johnny Hughes III (11.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.1 apg).
Defensively, Nicholls is allowing their opponents to an average of 69.7 ppg on 41.9% shooting from the field. The Colonels have a rebound margin of 4.2 and a turnover margin of 2.9.
The Islanders are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog & 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall. The Colonels are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall & 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games as a favorite.
Texas A&M-CC has been led by their offense which ranks 25th in scoring offense & 45th in FG% and have been average defensively, ranking 163rd in scoring defense. Nicholls is also led by their offense which ranks 26th in scoring offense, 34th in FG%, & 48th in three-pointers made per game, however, the Colonels have struggled at times allowing points and come into this game ranked just 213th in scoring defense.
Texas A&M-CC is a solid team, however, Nicholls is more battled tested with and have been competitive against some big-name teams, including a 71-68 loss at Wisconsin. This game should feature plenty of offense, however, as I think Nicholls will be able to pull away in the 2nd half, I’m taking Nicholls to cover this small spread. Good Luck!