The Owls and Dolphins are set to face off at 3:00 ET on ESPN+. The Dolphins will host the game at Swisher Gymnasium in Jacksonville, FL. The Owls are favored in this Atlantic Sun conference showdown. The game’s over/under is currently at 156.5 points.

KENNESAW STATE OWLS VS JACKSONVILLE DOLPHINS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Jacksonville Dolphins +4.5

This game will be played at Swisher Gymnasium at 3:00 ET on Saturday, January 20th.

WHY BET THE JACKSONVILLE DOLPHINS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-68 in favor of the Dolphins.
  • Not only will Jacksonville pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +4.5.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 156.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 143 points.

Can the Owls Live Up to the Hype on the Road?

Through 18 games this season, Kennesaw State has an overall record of 12-6 and a conference record of 3-1. On the road, the Owls have gone just 3-6 compared to a perfect 7-0 mark at home.

Kennesaw State is a 4.5-point favorite against Jacksonville, and the Owls have gone 9-1 when favored this season. Their average scoring margin at home is +12.7, but on the road, it is -5.2.

As the favorite, Kennesaw State has gone 6-3-1 vs. the spread this season. However, their ATS mark has been below .500 in their last three road games and they are just 2-3 vs. the spread in their last five games as the favorite.

So far this season, the over/under record for Kennesaw State games is 10-6. On average, their games have finished with 163.1 points compared to an average over/under line of 158.7, resulting in an average margin of 4.5. Today’s line of 156.5 is lower than the average scoring total in their last three games (156) and their games this season have finished with more points than today’s line in 11 of 16 games.

The Kennesaw State offense is coming off a game where they scored 75 points against North Florida. They posted a field goal percentage of 45.9% and connected on 9 threes. The top scorer for the Owls was Simeon Cottle with 25 points, while Quincy Ademokoya also added 11 to the scoreboard.

As they prepare for the upcoming game, Kennesaw State is focused on shoring up their defense, as they are currently allowing an average of 77.7 points per game (279th). Kennesaw State’s three-point defense is currently 102nd in the country at 6.7 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 42.1% of their shots vs. Kennesaw State.

Is an Upset Waiting to Happen at Home?

Despite being the underdog, Jacksonville has been dominant at home this season. Their record at home is a perfect 5-0, and their average margin of victory is +8.8 points per game. They have won five straight games at home, and over their last ten games at home, they are 8-2.

For the year, Jacksonville is 10-8, and their record in the Atlantic Sun is 1-3. They have been better in non-conference games, going 9-5. On the road, they have struggled, going just 2-8, and their average scoring margin is -18.3 points per game.

As the underdog this season, Jacksonville has gone just 1-7 vs. the spread. Their overall ATS record is 5-10. At home, the Dolphins are 3-2 vs. the spread this year and 3-4 ATS in their last 10 home games.

So far this season, the over/under record for Jacksonville is 12-3 and today’s line of 156.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (140.9). However, their average scoring total in their last three games is 145 points and in their last five games it’s 143 points. This season, 10 of their games have finished with more points than today’s OU line of 156.5.

Jacksonville’s offense had a good outing, putting up 79 points against Queens (NC). They achieved a 41.5% field goal percentage and went 29/40 from the free-throw line. Currently leading the team in scoring is Robert McCray who comes into today’s matchup averaging 16.2. Marcus Niblack also heads into the game with a PPG average of 12.

Currently, the Dolphins’ defense holds the 225th rank in the nation, allowing 74.6 points per game. So far, the Jacksonville defense is giving up an average of 9.7 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 14.4 times per game (691st).