Expect a fast-paced game when the Detroit Titans (15-13) visit Oakland to play the Golden Grizzlies (20-10). Action gets underway at 9:00 pm ET on Friday, Feb. 26 and will air on ESU and ES3.
The Golden Grizzlies come into this game hoping to repeat their last performance, beating UIC 74-63 in their last game. Kahlil Felder was a key piece, recording his 16th double-double of the season with 20 points and 10 assists. The Titans are coming off a 90-74 loss to Valparaiso in their last game. Paris Bass led the team in scoring with 28 points.
Over the last five games, Bass and Carlton Brundidge have been on a tear for the Titans. During that stretch, Bass has averaged 24.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.4 steals, 1.8 blocks, and 1.4 three-pointers. Not to be outdone, Brundidge has put up 15.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.2 steals.
The high-octane offense of Oakland (13th in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 116.3) will square off against the bottom-tier defense of Detroit (298th in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 109.5), a matchup that should favor the Golden Grizzlies.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Golden Grizzlies won the first game 86-82. Jalen Hayes finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
The Golden Grizzlies enter the game with records of 20-10 Straight Up (SU) and 18-6-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Golden Grizzlies have no trouble scoring as they rank second in the nation in offense with 86.6 points per game. The Golden Grizzlies are a phenomenal three-point shooting team with 8.0 made per game, one of the highest marks in Division I. The Golden Grizzlies, sporting the 41st-best assist-to-turnover ratio in Division I (1.34), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team. An area where the Golden Grizzlies are particularly strong is defensive rebounding where they average 28.2 per game, 27th in Division I. Expect Oakland to have lots of opportunities at the line against the Titans, who are one of the most foul-prone teams in the nation with an average of 23.0 fouls per game.
On the other side, Detroit has a SU record of 15-13 and an ATS record of 14-12. Most recently, Detroit is 7-2-1 ATS over the last 10 games. The Titans rank ninth in the country in scoring, averaging 83.4 points per game. Detroit is one of the top three-point shooting teams in the nation, hitting .387 of their shots from three-point range.
Oakland beat Detroit in their most recent meeting this season, bringing its SU record to 5-2 over Detroit in their most recent games. However, Detroit holds the advantage ATS with a record of 3-2. Neither Oakland nor Detroit has led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers) over their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Oak, ATS Winner – Oak
Notes
Oakland is one of the top-scoring teams, averaging 86.6 points per game (ranked second). Detroit, on the other hand, allows 82.1 points per game (ranked 256th).
Oakland averages 88.2 points per home game, ranking fourth in the country. Detroit, on the other hand, allows 86.5 points per away game, one of the worst teams this season (ranked 258th).
Ranked 13th, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies have an offensive rating of 116.3. The Detroit Titans rank 298th with a defensive rating of just 109.5.
The Detroit Titans average 74.9 possessions per game and 1.112 points per possession. The Oakland Golden Grizzlies earn fewer possessions with 74.5, but they score more points with 1.163.
Detroit has an average effective field goal percentage of 53.2%. Oakland is a poor 4-7 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies attempt 22.0 three point field goals per game and the Detroit Titans attempt 21.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Oakland has a split 10-10 record, while Detroit is 7-8.
Oakland ranks 41st in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.34. Detroit is ranked lower at 224th with an A/TO of .98.
Oakland ranks 32nd in rebounds per game with 40.0 and Detroit ranks 98th with 37.7 rebounds per game.
Detroit ranks 104th in offensive rebounds, while Oakland ranks at 27th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Detroit forces a turnover rate of 18.0%. When Oakland turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a winning 5-3 record.
