Betsided

Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Prediction Odds and Key Players for Sun Belt Tournament Second Round

By Reed Wallach

Kobe Julien (No. 4) takes it to the basket as Louisiana men's basketball takes on Xavier in the
Kobe Julien (No. 4) takes it to the basket as Louisiana men's basketball takes on Xavier in the / SCOTT CLAUSE/USA TODAY Network / USA
facebooktwitterreddit

The Sun Belt Conference Tournament continues on Thursday in Pensacola, Florida!

Defending champions Louisiana will look to take the long route to a repeat title against Coastal Carolina on Thursday afternoon after the Chanticleers won its first-round game against Louisiana-Monroe. The turnover-minded Ragin' Cajuns defense won the lone meeting against Coastal Carolina, can the team make it two in a row as double-digit favorites and extend its conference season?

Here's our full betting preview for Thursday's matchup:

New FanDuel Sportsbook users, get ready for March Madness by signing up below and get $150 in bonus bets when you win your first bet of just $5!

Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Odds, Spread and Total

Louisiana vs. Coastal Carolina Betting Trends

  • Coastal Carolina is 16-11-1 against the spread (ATS) this season
  • Louisiana has gone OVER in 15 of 28 games against Division 1 opponents
  • Coastal Carolina has gone OVER in 16 of 28 games this season

Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana How to Watch

  • Date: Thursday, March 7th
  • Game Time: 3:00 PM EST
  • Venue: Pensacola Bay Center
  • How to Watch (TV): ESPN+
  • Coastal Carolina Record: 9-21
  • Louisiana Record: 18-13

Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Key Players to Watch

Coastal Carolina

Jacob Meyer: The Chanticleers have struggled this season, but the team has a good one in freshman Jacob Meyer, who is averaging 15 points and five rebounds while shooting 42% from beyond the arc. Will Coastal Carolina be able to handle the aggressive pressure from Louisiana in the Sun Belt first round?

Louisiana

Kobe Julien: The Ragin' Cajuns lead scorer, averaging north of 17 points per game, Julien struggled in the team's first game against Coastal Carolina, making only one of six shots for three points. However, Louisiana still won with ease, can we expect a better showing and an even bigger margin of victory?

Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Prediction and Pick

Louisiana is second in the Sun Belt in terms of generating turnovers, a physical brand of defense that forces teams off the three-point line and toward the rim while hunting for steals. That's a big issue for Coastal Carolina, the Sun Belt's worst offense in terms of adjusted offensive efficiency per KenPom, with the highest turnover rate in conference play.

Neither team can shoot much, but the pace at which Louisiana plays is going to lead to a struggle for Coastal Carolina. The team can't handle the relentless ball pressure and it should allow Louisiana to get into the open court and generate easy buckets against a normally compact Coastal Carolina that allows a low amount of attempts at the rim.

Coming off a first-round win in which the team shot 10-of-16 from beyond the arc, offsetting the team's 17 turnovers, I expect Coastal Carolina to struggle on offense and for the Ragin Cajuns to take care of business in the second-round matchup.

PICK: Louisiana -10.5, play to -11

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Track Reed's bets here!

Home/College Basketball Predictions and Picks