The Oakland Golden Grizzlies (21-11) travel to face off against the Kentucky Wildcats (23-8) on Thursday, March 21st. This game will be played at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh and televised on CBS. Oakland is coming off a win in their previous game, while Kentucky is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Texas A&M. Tip-off is set for 7:10 ET.
Oakland Golden Grizzlies vs Kentucky Wildcats
The Oakland Golden Grizzlies Are Coming Off A Win
As the underdog, Oakland has a record of 5-6 this season, and they are 21-11 overall. They have won two straight games, and their road record this year is 9-7. So far, their average scoring margin on the road is +1.1, and they have gone 3-0 in their last three road games.
For the season, Oakland has been the underdog in 11 of their 32 games, and they have gone 4-1 in their last five road games. In their last game, they defeated Purdue Fort Wayne by a score of 75-65.
As the underdog, Oakland has an ATS record of 8-3 this season and they have gone 2-1 ATS in their last 3 games as the underdog. On the road, the Golden Grizzlies have an ATS record of 11-5 this year and they are 3-0 ATS in their last 3 road games. Overall, Oakland has an ATS record of 19-12 this season.
So far this season, the over/under record for Oakland games is 17-14. Today’s over/under line of 162 is higher than the average over/under line in their games this year (147.3). The average scoring total in their last three games is 147 points and their OU record over their last 10 games is 6-4.
The Kentucky Wildcats Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
After losing their last two games, Kentucky will look to get back on track when they host Oakland. The Wildcats have gone 15-6 at home this season, and they have gone 7-3 in their last 10 games at home.
For the season, Kentucky has gone 18-8 when favored, and they have been favored in 26 of their 31 games. Their average scoring margin at home is +11.3, and they have gone 10-1 in non-conference games.
When looking at Kentucky’s ATS record this season, they are just 17-16. At home, the Wildcats have gone 10-11 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, Kentucky is just 3-7 and they have gone 0-3 ATS in their last 3 home games.
Today’s over/under line of 162 is similar to the average over/under line in Kentucky’s games this season (158.8). Currently, their over/under record is 24-9. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 173 points, and their over/under record during this span is 2-1. On the season, 24 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line of 162.
Oakland Offense Breakdown
The Golden Grizzlies’ offense wrapped up their last game with 75 points, aligning closely with their current season average of 76.4 points per contest. Leading Oakland in scoring vs. Purdue Fort Wayne was Rocket Watts with his 18 points. DQ Cole also added 14 points for the Golden Grizzlies.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trey Townsend (F) | 16.9 | 7.8 | 2.9 |
| Jack Gohlke (G) | 12.3 | 4.1 | 1.1 |
| Blake Lampman (G) | 13.2 | 3.2 | 3.0 |
Kentucky Offense Breakdown
The Kentucky offense is coming off a game where they scored 87 points against Texas A&M. They posted a field goal percentage of 50% and connected on 11 threes. Currently leading the team in scoring is Antonio Reeves who comes into today’s matchup averaging 20. Rob Dillingham also heads into the game with a PPG average of 15.4.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antonio Reeves (G) | 20.0 | 4.2 | 1.7 |
| Rob Dillingham (G) | 15.4 | 2.8 | 3.9 |
| Reed Sheppard (G) | 12.8 | 4.2 | 4.5 |
Oakland Team Defense
In terms of defense, Oakland is currently on par with the NCAA average for points allowed, giving up an average of 72.9 points per game. Against Purdue Fort Wayne in their most recent game, the Oakland defense gave up a total of 65 points while allowing Purdue Fort Wayne to hit 50% of their shots.
Kentucky Team Defense
So far, the Wildcats’ defense is ranked 340th in the country at 80.2 points per contest. So far, the Kentucky defense is giving up an average of 10.4 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 10.3 times per game (453rd).
Golden Grizzlies vs Wildcats Trends
- Oakland has played well in their previous 5 road games, going 4-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 77 points per game while allowing 70. The team also performed well vs the spread at 4-1.
- In their last five home games, Kentucky has averaged 81 points per game while allowing 78. The team’s record in this stretch was 3-2 while going 3-2 vs. the spread.
- The last five games that Oakland was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 2-3 while going 2-3 straight up.
- Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Kentucky has an ATS mark of 3-7 while going 5-5 straight up.
Golden Grizzlies vs Wildcats Prediction
For a pick on the point-spread in this Wildcats vs. Golden Grizzlies matchup, our bet is to grab the Golden Grizzlies at +13.5. Even though our projections have the Wildcats winning 74-72, we see the Golden Grizzlies as the play on the point-spread.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 162 and our model has the Golden Grizzlies and Wildcats finishing with a combined 146 points. Our pick is to take the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:March 19, 2024 Kentucky Wildcats, Oakland Golden Grizzlies