CBB Matchups

Every D1 game with tempo-free ratings, four factors and market lines, one place.

College basketball is being built for the 2026-27 season (tip-off Nov 3). What's here fills in as games are played.
Non-conferenceDavid R. Stopher Gymnasium, Thibodaux, LA
Louisiana Tech
Efficiency #211
2025-26: 20-14 · 13-10 conf
@
Nicholls
Efficiency #250
2025-26: 14-19 · 13-11 conf
Sat, Nov 14 · TBD
68.8
win 43%
Projected
71.0
win 57%
No line posted yet.
Model: NICH −2.2 · total 139.9 · ratings as of Sat, Oct 3
Preseason ratings start from 2025-26's final adjusted ratings, regressed toward the D1 average. The stats below are 2025-26's too; both update once 2026-27 games are played.

How the projection is built

each step, from an average D-I game to this one
Projected total
Average D-I game
148.2
PaceAdjusted tempo: Nicholls 68.9, Louisiana Tech 66.1 → 66.6 possessions
−3.7
Nicholls offense vs Louisiana Tech defense
−3.2
Louisiana Tech offense vs Nicholls defense
−1.5
Projected total
139.9
Axis starts at 135 pointsPoints added or removed at each step
Projected margin
Even game
0.0
Nicholls offense vs Louisiana Tech defense
−3.2
Louisiana Tech offense vs Nicholls defense
+1.5
Home court+2.9 points per 100 possessions to the home offense, −2.9 to the visitors
+3.8
Nicholls by 2.2
2.2
Louisiana Tech side ◂▸ Nicholls side

Steps are rounded to one decimal, so they can differ from the total by 0.1: the total steps add to 139.8 against a projected 139.9, and the margin steps add to +2.1 against +2.2. The margin is the same build seen from the home side; positive numbers help Nicholls.

Pace & total

possessions per 40 minutes
Tempo, possessions per 40 minutes

Projected possessions: 66.6, from each team's opponent-adjusted tempo. On raw 2025-26 season pace, Nicholls is the faster team (68.3, #180 of 365) and Louisiana Tech the slower (64.7, #337). When tempos clash, the slower team usually pulls the pace harder (study weights 0.80 vs 0.66).

Projected possessions
66.6
per team, 40 min
Projected total
139.9
model
Projected team totals
68.8 / 71.0
Louisiana Tech / Nicholls
Adjusted tempo, vs an average opponent
66.1#339
Louisiana Tech
68.9#131
Nicholls

How this game plays

what the study found each side's numbers actually do when these two teams meet
DefenseLouisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech's shot-blocking
Louisiana Tech ranks #5 nationally in block rate — one of the few defensive numbers that travels. Expect about 13.9% of Nicholls's two-point attempts to get blocked against this defense.
AdvantageLouisiana Tech
Where Louisiana Tech struggles: ball control
Louisiana Tech turns it over on 18.3% of possessions (#286); Nicholls forces turnovers on 20.5% of opponent possessions (#15). Expect about 20.0%, 3.2 points above an average D1 matchup — worth roughly -4.0 points per 100 possessions.
GlassLouisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech owns the glass
Projected offensive rebound rate of 36.2% is worth roughly +3.5 points per 100 possessions for Louisiana Tech's offense.
Pace
Tempo tug-of-war
Nicholls averages 68.3 possessions per 40, Louisiana Tech 64.7. Slower teams pull the pace toward themselves more than fast teams push it (0.80 vs 0.66 in five seasons of games), so expect about 65 — more possessions mean more points in the total and more chances for the better team to separate.
ClashNicholls
Style match: 3-point volume
Nicholls takes 43.9% of its shots from three; Louisiana Tech lets opponents take 46.8% of their shots from three (D1 average 39.5%). Expect about 47.7% — both habits push the same way.
AdvantageNicholls
Where Nicholls struggles: shooting
Nicholls shoots an effective 50.6% (#205); Louisiana Tech allows 48.7% (#51). Expect about 49.6%, 1.7 points below an average D1 matchup — worth roughly -2.4 points per 100 possessions.
Louisiana Tech has the ball
OffenseNicholls allowsvs D1 avg
47.4% #329
54.4% #311
-0.9 pt/100
18.3% #286
20.5% #15
-4.0 pt/100
36.4% #21
33.7% #314
+3.5 pt/100
33.1% #234
37.9% #259
+0.1 pt/100
67.2% #341
—
-0.5 pt/100
Louisiana Tech net across the four factors + FT%, vs. a D1-average matchup: -1.7 pts/100
Nicholls has the ball
OffenseLouisiana Tech allowsvs D1 avg
50.6% #205
48.7% #51
-2.4 pt/100
17.4% #232
17.8% #105
-1.3 pt/100
28.1% #263
31.6% #232
-0.6 pt/100
34.5% #195
36.3% #222
+0.1 pt/100
66.2% #350
—
-0.5 pt/100
Nicholls net across the four factors + FT%, vs. a D1-average matchup: -4.8 pts/100

Shot diet

Where each offense shoots from and where each defense lets teams shoot · 2025-26 numbers
Louisiana Techoffense vsNichollsdefense
Share of shots by zone
Louisiana Tech shoots
Nicholls allows
D-I average
FG% by zone
ZoneD-I avg
Rim55.3%#29362.3%#30458.6%
Short 2 (≤9 ft)40.6%#15848.5%#34339.5%
Mid 2 (10 ft+)39.7%#12236.9%#12838.0%
Three28.5%#35934.6%#22433.7%
Nichollsoffense vsLouisiana Techdefense
Share of shots by zone
Nicholls shoots
Louisiana Tech allows
D-I average
FG% by zone
ZoneD-I avg
Rim57.8%#20352.2%#1758.6%
Short 2 (≤9 ft)37.8%#22538.7%#15339.5%
Mid 2 (10 ft+)29.1%#36034.4%#5838.0%
Three33.3%#21533.9%#17833.7%
RimShort 2 (≤9 ft)Mid 2 (10 ft+)Three

Zones from play-by-play shot descriptions; garbage time removed. Bars show the share of field-goal attempts in each zone; where a slice is too thin for its number, the shares are listed under the bar. FG% ranks: #1 = best for that side (most accurate shooting, stingiest defense).

Shot volume

Extra scoring chances from rebounds, turnovers and the foul line · 2025-26 numbers
Louisiana Tech
+0.6extra scoring chances per game vs a D-I average team#155 of 365
Off reb %
36.4%
#21
Def reb %
68.4%
#232
Turnover %
18.3%
#286
Forced TO %
17.8%
#105
FT rate
33.1%
#234
FT allowed
36.3%
#222
Where the chances come from (per game)
Offensive rebounding+1.9
Defensive rebounding−0.3
Ball security−1.0
Forcing turnovers+0.8
Foul shots drawn−0.5
Foul shots allowed−0.3
Nicholls
−0.4extra scoring chances per game vs a D-I average team#195 of 365
Off reb %
28.1%
#263
Def reb %
66.3%
#314
Turnover %
17.4%
#232
Forced TO %
20.5%
#15
FT rate
34.5%
#195
FT allowed
37.9%
#259
Where the chances come from (per game)
Offensive rebounding−0.7
Defensive rebounding−1.0
Ball security−0.4
Forcing turnovers+2.6
Foul shots drawn−0.1
Foul shots allowed−0.7

Louisiana Tech has more extra scoring chances per game: +0.6 (#155 of 365) to Nicholls’s −0.4 (#195).

Grade = extra shots and foul-line trips per game compared with a D-I average team, built from six season rates. Cell shading is the national rank for each rate (greener = better for that team).

Rotation

Louisiana Tech2025-26 numbers
ESPN hasn't posted Louisiana Tech's 2026-27 roster yet — these are last season's players.
#PlayerPosClHtGP-GSMPGPPGRPGAPGTOVeFG%3P%3PA/gFT%UsageStatus
3AJ BatesGSo6'3"34-3433.412.12.85.92.441.8%27.7%3.878.3%27.9%
0DJ DudleyGJr6'3"34-2730.413.82.82.02.450.5%36.2%4.868.5%31.3%
5Avery Thomas IIFSo6'8"33-2625.29.17.20.60.847.3%30.0%3.677.8%23.4%
11Kaden CooperGJr6'6"29-1025.99.77.71.11.451.3%29.2%2.267.6%24.1%
4Jaylen FennerGFr6'6"32-2421.55.52.81.01.045.2%30.8%1.665.2%18.7%
8Scooter WilliamsGSr6'4"28-321.110.02.91.40.948.0%24.4%2.866.7%30.4%
14Will AllenFSr6'7"33-1015.93.33.60.30.954.4%26.1%0.755.0%15.1%
21Melian MartinezCJr7'0"30-1915.54.22.90.20.874.4%—0.031.3%14.9%
7Sir Issac HerronFSr6'10"27-1013.04.62.40.50.959.9%33.3%0.154.1%22.1%
10Kylan HowzeFJr6'9"24-411.12.22.30.30.555.6%—0.043.3%14.3%
2Will JeffressFSr6'8"10-313.62.33.40.10.325.7%5.9%1.766.7%19.1%
1Jermaurhiyun AndersonGSo6'4"3-016.71.73.30.00.022.2%0.0%0.733.3%12.0%
6Keegan RowellGSo6'3"10-04.42.10.30.10.280.8%55.6%0.9—20.4%
23Lachlan ThompsonGSo6'4"4-02.00.50.30.00.3100.0%—0.0—14.4%
27A'Meir WilliamsFFr6'8"0-00.00.00.00.00.0——0.0——
Rosters come from ESPN and are still filling in; incoming transfers and freshmen may be missing.

Tale of the tape

national rank toned left for away, right for home
Louisiana TechNicholls
Efficiency
104.4
106.1
106.1
110.3
66.1
68.9
—
—
Shooting
47.4%
50.6%
49.7%
51.2%
28.5%
33.3%
67.2%
66.2%
33.1%
34.5%
Ball control & glass
18.3%
17.4%
17.8%
20.5%
36.4%
28.1%
31.6%
33.7%
10.1%
9.2%
10.2%
9.9%
Style
33.4%
43.9%
47.1%
41.2%
13.0%
16.6%
48.0%
52.1%
36.6%
30.5%
Roster
2.73
3.67
6'5.9"
6'5.6"
—
—

Offseason

roster movement into this season — descriptive, not a model input
Louisiana Tech
Returning minutes: 100.0%Returning production: 100.0%
ESPN hasn't posted Louisiana Tech's roster for this season yet — no movement to show.

Returns 100% of last season's minutes. Teams returning at least 65% of last season's minutes have historically gained about 2.2 points of AdjEM (n=156 team-seasons, 2022-2026). (ESPN hasn't posted this season's roster yet -- this may still be last season's list.)

Nicholls
Returning minutes: 100.0%Returning production: 100.0%
ESPN hasn't posted Nicholls's roster for this season yet — no movement to show.

Returns 100% of last season's minutes. Teams returning at least 65% of last season's minutes have historically gained about 2.2 points of AdjEM (n=156 team-seasons, 2022-2026). (ESPN hasn't posted this season's roster yet -- this may still be last season's list.)

Head-to-head

this season and last
No meetings the last two seasons.

The CBB Matchups tab lays out the day's Division I slate: matchup, tip time, records and rank, and — once posted — Pinnacle's spread and total (the median across books when Pinnacle has no line). Three views switch the table between projected scores, pace and totals, and each team's offensive and defensive tendencies. Each game opens into opponent-adjusted possessions, efficiency and four-factor tendencies for both teams, plus recent form, rotation and head-to-head history. Every game also carries our projected score, spread and total, built bottom-up from those same numbers: expected possessions times each side's opponent-adjusted points per possession, plus home court.

What these numbers mean: line shopping.