Halftime Report

Fortunes may be turning around for Liberty after losing three in a row. They have jumped out to a quick 36-29 lead against FIU.

If Liberty keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 12-7 in no time. On the other hand, FIU will have to make due with a 7-12 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who's Playing

FIU Panthers @ Liberty Flames

Current Records: FIU 7-11, Liberty 11-7

How To Watch

What to Know

FIU has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. The FIU Panthers and the Liberty Flames will face off in a Conference USA battle at 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday at Liberty Arena. FIU might want some stickum for this matchup since the team gave up 21 turnovers on Saturday.

Even though FIU has not done well against UTEP recently (they were 1-9 in their previous ten matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way. The Panthers secured a 72-68 W over the Miners. The victory came about thanks to a strong surge starting at the 11:36 mark of the second half, when FIU was facing a 55-39 deficit.

Among those leading the charge was Dashon Gittens, who scored 19 points along with four steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points he has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Javaunte Hawkins, who scored 18 points.

Meanwhile, Liberty fought the good fight in their overtime contest against La. Tech on Sunday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took a 80-76 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Bulldogs. Liberty's defeat continues a disappointing trend for the team, making it three in a row.

The Panthers' win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-11. As for the Flames, they have not been sharp recently, as they've lost four of their last five matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 11-7 record this season.

Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as both teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. FIU hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 76.7 points per game. However, it's not like Liberty struggles in that department as they've been averaging 76.1 points per game. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.

FIU is hoping to beat the odds on Thursday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss. Bettors picking them against the spread have some confidence (to put it mildly), as the team is sitting on a five-game streak of failing to cover when playing as the underdog.

Odds

Liberty is a big 12.5-point favorite against FIU, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 12.5-point spread, and stayed right there.


The over/under is set at 139.5 points.

See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.