It will be a battle between AAC opponents when the No. 7 Wichita State Shockers (16-4, 6-2 AAC) welcome the Tulsa Golden Hurricane (11-9, 4-4 AAC) to Charles Koch Arena. The game will air on CBS Sports Network at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 28, 2018.
Wichita State opened as a 15.5-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 145.5 points.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Wichita State Shockers Betting Prediction
The last time the Golden Hurricane played, they topped the Memphis Tigers, 64-51. Tulsa’s 19.6 turnover percentage was their biggest strength over Memphis, who had a mark of 24.9. The Golden Hurricane’s mark was worse than their season average of 16.5, while the Tigers’ was above their season average of 17.3. Tulsa was lifted by DaQuan Jeffries, who was the top scorer from either team with 24 points on 8-for-15 shooting.
The Shockers easily got past the UCF Knights in their last game, 81-62. The Shockers made 22 of their 30 free throws (73.3 percent) and had a turnover percentage of 7.4 (better than their season average of 15.1). Shaquille Morris was the top scorer from either team with 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting.
Wichita State appears to have the advantage on the offensive side of the ball. The Shockers currently rank ninth in offensive efficiency, while the Golden Hurricane rank 173rd in defensive efficiency.
Tulsa comes into the game with records of 11-9 straight up (SU) and 11-6 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when predicting totals of Golden Hurricane games, with 9 overs compared to 8 unders.
Wichita State is 16-4 SU, but they are just 8-10 ATS. There does not appear to be a trend for games featuring the Shockers in regards to the O/U total, as there has been an even split between games finishing over and under.
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, the Golden Hurricane lost 72-69 but covered as 12.5-point underdogs. Sterling Taplin led both teams with 26 points and also recorded seven assists. The game finished with a total of 141 points, which was 8 points below the projected point total of 149 points. The Shockers knocked down 12 of their 15 free throws (80.0 percent) and had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (31.6 vs. 11.8).
Tulsa Golden Hurricane vs. Wichita State Shockers Free Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Wichita State, ATS Winner – Tulsa, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Tulsa is 6-4 ATS with 5 overs and 5 unders.
At home, Wichita State is 4-5 ATS with 7 overs and 2 unders.
Wichita State ranks fourth in assists per game (18.7) while Tulsa ranks 206th (12.4).
The Shockers rank fifth in rebounds per game (41.9) while the Golden Hurricane rank 196th in rebounds allowed per game (36.5).
Wichita State ranks 85th in three pointers attempted per game (23.8) while Tulsa ranks 275th in three pointers allowed per game (27.4).
The Shockers rank 49th in blocks per game (4.5) while the Golden Hurricane rank 203rd (2.0).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Tulsa is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Wichita State is 2-3 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over their last five games.
The Golden Hurricane have been outscored by an average of 6.6 points in their last five games. For the season, Tulsa has defeated opponents by an average of 1.8 points.
During their last five games, the Shockers have scored an average of 77.0 points per game (6.1 below their season average) and allowed an average of 69.4 points per game (0.5 above their season average).
