The Wichita State Shockers (5-5) will be at home when they face the Nevada Wolf Pack (8-3). Action gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Dec. 22 and can be seen on EFC and ES3.
The Shockers were beaten by Seton Hall 80-76 on Saturday. Ron Baker was a top performer for the Shockers, putting up 16 points, seven assists, and two steals. The Wolf Pack, meanwhile, are coming off a 72-69 win against Santa Clara on Friday. Marqueze Coleman led the team in scoring by recording 18 points on 5-for-11 shooting.
The top-notch Nevada defense should have a clear edge in terms of eFG%. It ranks 17th in the nation in forcing misses (opponents’ eFG% of 42.9%), while the cold-shooting Wichita State offense is 291st with a mark of 46.4%.
This one isn’t expected to be close when Wichita State, a considerable 14-point favorite, takes on Nevada. The Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 131 points for this matchup. The Shockers enter the game with records of 5-5 Straight Up (SU) and 2-6 Against The Spread (ATS). Wichita State is very careful and attentive with the ball, averaging the 32nd-fewest turnovers per game at only 10.9.
Across the court, the Wolf Pack have records of 4-5 ATS and 8-3 SU. The Wolf Pack are getting to the foul line at a high rate. Their 201 free throws made ranks 45th in Division I. The Wolf Pack have controlled the glass with an average of 45.2 rebounds per game, fourth in the country. Nevada’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .372 from the field. Blocking shots is an area where Nevada has excelled. The Wolf Pack average 7.3 blocks per game, best in the nation.
This is the first meeting of the season for these two. The last time they played, Nevada came out on top, moving its SU record against the Shockers to 1-0. Additionally, with a 1-0 record, Nevada has the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Nevada, ATS Winner – Nevada, O/U – Over
Notes
Wichita State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road.
Wichita State is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games on the road.
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Wichita State’s last 13 games on the road.
Nevada scores 86.1 points per away game (ranked 58th). Wichita State ranks a poor 134th in points allowed at home, allowing 73.2 points.
The Nevada Wolf Pack have a defensive rating of 94.4 (ranked 59th), while the Wichita State Shockers have an offensive rating of 105.2 (ranked 184th).
Nevada beats Wichita State in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Wolf Pack average 73.2 possessions and 1.115 points per possession, while the Shockers average 65.4 possessions with 1.052 points per possession.
Wichita State has an average effective field goal percentage of 46.4%. Nevada is a winning 3-1 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, Wichita State attempts 24.0 three pointers and Nevada attempts 18.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Wichita State Shockers have a losing 3-5 record while the Nevada Wolf Pack are even at 2-2.
Nevada ranks tops in the nation with 7.3 blocks per game. Wichita State is outside the top 100 with 2.9 per game (ranked 235th).
Nevada is one of the top defensive rebounding teams, ranking 13th. Wichita State ranks 61st in offensive rebounding.
The Wichita State Shockers average 7.3 steals per game. When giving up 7 or more steals, the Nevada Wolf Pack have a losing record (1-3) this season.
