The Oakland Golden Grizzlies (9-5, 1-1 Hor) welcome the Northern Kentucky Norse (9-5, 2-0 Hor) to Athletics Center Orena as they look to continue their six-game home winning streak. The game is scheduled to get underway at 12 p.m. ET on Friday, January 5, 2018.
Northern Kentucky opened as a 1-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 159 points.
Northern Kentucky Norse at Oakland Golden Grizzlies ATS Prediction
The Norse will be looking for a similar outcome after blowing out the UIC Flames in their last outing, 86-51. The Norse knocked down 22 of their 28 free throws (78.6 percent) and held the Flames to an offensive rebounding percentage of 17.1 (below their season average of 30.8). With 19 points on 5-for-12 shooting, Drew McDonald was the game’s leading scorer.
In the Golden Grizzlies’ last matchup, they lost a tough one against the Green Bay Phoenix, 80-79. One of Green Bay’s biggest advantages was their ability to convert at the free throw line. They were 15-17 (88.2 percent), while the Golden Grizzlies were 9-11 (81.8 percent). With 33 points on 11-for-26 shooting, Kendrick Nunn was the game’s leading scorer.
The offense of Oakland will battle against the elite defense of Northern Kentucky. The Golden Grizzlies rank 153rd in offensive efficiency, while the Norse are 20th in defensive efficiency. The Norse figure to have the advantage on that side of the ball.
Northern Kentucky heads into the contest with records of 9-5 straight up (SU) and 9-2 against the spread (ATS). Vegas has a tendency to set the total high when the Norse are involved, as seven of their 11 games have finished under the total.
Oakland has a respectable 9-5 SU record, but they have a hard time covering the spread (5-7 ATS). Games featuring the Golden Grizzlies have no tendency in regards to the O/U total, as there has been an even split between games finishing over and under.
Both teams have had a player take their game to the next level over their last five games. McDonald (20.0 points and 9.4 rebounds) has been stellar for the Norse while Jalen Hayes (24.6 points and 8.6 rebounds) has made great contributions to the Golden Grizzlies.
After the Golden Grizzlies won both meetings against the Norse last season, this will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. In the last game, Oakland won 79-70. The Golden Grizzlies made 16 of their 22 free throws (72.7 percent) and had a better effective field goal percentage (0.543 vs. 0.460).
Northern Kentucky Norse vs. Oakland Golden Grizzlies ATS Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Northern Kentucky, ATS Winner – Oakland, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
Northern Kentucky is 4-2 ATS on the road with 3 overs and 3 unders.
At home, Oakland is 2-1 ATS with 2 overs and 1 under.
Northern Kentucky ranks 12th in assists per game (18.2) while Oakland ranks 169th in assists allowed per game (14.5).
The Norse average 8.4 steals per game, which ranks 26th in the nation. The Golden Grizzlies rank 171st in steals allowed per game (7.8).
Oakland ranks 27th in blocks per game (5.4) while Northern Kentucky ranks 131st (3.0).
The Norse rank 146th in rebounds per game (35.9) while the Golden Grizzlies rank 198th in rebounds allowed per game (37.4).
Oakland allows the 14th-fewest three pointers per game (17.1) while Northern Kentucky ranks 36th (19.1).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Northern Kentucky is 4-0 ATS with 3 unders and 1 over.
Oakland is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over their last five games.
The Norse’s average margin of victory in their last five games has been 14.8, down from 17.2 for the season.
During their last five games, the Golden Grizzlies have scored an average of 84.0 points per game (3.1 above their season average) and allowed an average of 73.0 points per game (6.1 below their season average).
