The Oakland Golden Grizzlies (11-8) head to Green Bay to take on the Phoenix (12-7) in what should be a fast-paced game. Action begins at 2:00 pm ET on Saturday, Jan. 23 and can be seen on ES3.
The Phoenix enter this game hoping for similar success after blowing out Chicago State 99-66 on Tuesday. Carrington Love was the game’s leading scorer with 20 points on 7-for-14 shooting. The Golden Grizzlies, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 90-73 loss against Northern Kentucky on Tuesday. Jalen Hayes had a good game for Oakland, registering 20 points, nine rebounds, and one steal.
There could be a fair amount of transition offense in a game that features two of the nation’s more up-tempo teams. Green Bay is ranked third in possessions per game (78.5), while Oakland is 13th (74.7).
Green Bay is a three-point favorite against Oakland and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at 181 points. The Phoenix have gone 12-7 Straight Up (SU) and 9-7 Against The Spread (ATS). The Phoenix have no trouble scoring as they rank 13th in the nation in offense with 84.2 points per game. The Phoenix are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throws made, making an impressive 18.0 per game. Expect to see a lot of second-chance opportunities for Green Bay in this matchup, which is one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 13.7 offensive boards per game. As for the Green Bay defense, opponents have consistently had the ball stolen by the Phoenix, who rank second in the country in steals per game with 10.7.
In the other locker room, the Golden Grizzlies have 11-8 SU and 10-4 ATS records. Offensively, they average 85.0 points per game, which is good for eighth in the country. The Golden Grizzlies rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking 50th in the nation with 165 made (8.0 per game). Defensive rebounding is an area where Oakland has excelled. The Golden Grizzlies average 26.2 defensive rebounds per game, making them one of the best in the nation.
These conference foes meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. Green Bay won the last game in the matchup, bringing the head-to-head record to an even 4-4 SU over their most recent meetings. On the other hand, Green Bay holds the advantage ATS with a record of 3-1. Green Bay held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time, while Oakland was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – GB, ATS Winner – Oak, O/U – Over
Notes
Wisc-Green Bay is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games.
Green Bay sits at 4-2 SU against conference rivals, while Oakland has an even 3-3 SU record against its foes.
Oakland is one of the top-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 85.0 points per game (ranked eighth). Green Bay, on the other hand, allows 78.3 points per game (ranked 307th).
Oakland is one of the top-scoring teams on the road, averaging 83.7 points per game (ranked seventh). Green Bay, on the other hand, allows 70.1 points per home game (ranked 218th).
Ranked 37th, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies have an offensive rating of 113.8. The Green Bay Phoenix rank 114th with a defensive rating of just 99.6.
Green Bay has an average field goal percentage of 43.9%. Oakland is an abysmal 1-7 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Green Bay Phoenix rank higher based on their field goal percentage (189th) than their effective field goal percentage (236th). The Oakland Golden Grizzlies rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (115th) than their field goal percentage (148th).
Oakland ranks 94th in assists, recording 14.9 per game. Green Bay performs worse at 169th with 13.7 assists per game.
Green Bay, the 91st-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.3 per game. Oakland does worse, ranked 194th with 3.3.
Green Bay ranks 27th in offensive rebounding. When it comes to defensive rebounds, Oakland ranks 50th.
The Green Bay Phoenix make an average of 10.7 steals per game, ranked second in the nation. When the Oakland Golden Grizzlies allow 10 or more steals, they are undefeated (1-0).
