The No. 5 Wichita State Shockers (13-2, 3-0 AAC) look to prolong their five-game winning streak against the East Carolina Pirates (7-8, 1-3 AAC) at Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. The game starts at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 11, 2018.
Wichita State opened as a 24-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 140.5 points.
Wichita State Shockers vs. East Carolina Pirates Free Prediction
In the Shockers’ last outing, they blew out the South Florida Bulls, 95-57. The Shockers, who came into the game averaging an effective field goal percentage of 0.558, had an absurd mark of 0.729, while the Bulls had a turnover percentage of 22.4 (above their season average of 19.3). With 15 points on 7-for-9 shooting, Shaquille Morris was the game’s leading scorer.
The Pirates fell to the Connecticut Huskies in their last outing, 70-65. Connecticut’s 0.300 free throw rate was their biggest strength over East Carolina, who had a rate of 0.182. The Huskies’ mark was above their season average of 0.243, while the Pirates’ was below their season average of 0.239. With 13 points, seven rebounds and five steals, Kentrell Barkley had a solid performance for East Carolina.
The inefficient offense of East Carolina (335th in the NCAA with an offensive efficiency of 94.2) will square off against the elite defense of Wichita State (48th in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 95.4). The Shockers should have the advantage on that side of the ball. Furthermore, the Shockers rank 51st in offensive rebounding percentage (34.6 percent), while the Pirates rank 271st in defensive rebounding percentage (68.8 percent).
Wichita State comes into the contest with records of 13-2 straight up (SU) and 6-7 against the spread (ATS). Games featuring the Shockers have a slight tendency to go under the total (53.8 percent).
Meanwhile, East Carolina owns records of 7-8 SU and 3-5 ATS. Vegas has been spot on when predicting totals of Pirates games, with an even split between overs and unders.
Wichita State Shockers at East Carolina Pirates Betting Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Wichita State, ATS Winner – Wichita State, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Wichita State averages 42.1 rebounds per game, which ranks sixth in the NCAA. East Carolina ranks 198th in rebounds allowed per game (37.3).
The Shockers rank eighth in assists per game (18.6) while the Pirates rank 197th (12.1).
Wichita State ranks 92nd in three pointers attempted per game (23.7) while East Carolina ranks 239th (17.9).
The Shockers rank 41st in blocks per game (4.7) while the Pirates rank 79th (3.8).
Bettings Trends:
The Shockers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 17.0, up from 16.3 for the season.
During their last five games, the Pirates have scored an average of 60.0 points per game (5.7 below their season average) and allowed an average of 68.2 points per game (1.1 below their season average).
