The Horizon League has a fun race with the Northern Kentucky Norse at 9-2 and Milwaukee and Oakland tied for second place at 8-3. These teams will be fighting for the top seed at the conference tournament.
The Oakland Golden Grizzlies have struggled in nonconference play but are riding a strong Horizon League surge. It will be interesting to see how they fare against a Youngstown State team that has won 15 games this year.
Oakland
The Oakland Golden Grizzlies take on the Milwaukee Panthers in a matchup that the oddsmakers think will be a tight game between two teams from the same conference. The Panthers are currently a modest favorite by 3.5 points.
The Panthers have struggled to win games at the Division I level since moving up from Division II. They are 5-6 on the season and have lost three of their last four. They have a chance to snap that streak when they host the Golden Grizzlies on Saturday evening.
Furthermore, they have been outscored by a combined 106 points during those five losses. Moreover, they are now averaging 103.8 points per game, which is well below the average for their league.
However, they are still averaging more than enough points to be competitive in most of their games. They have been able to keep their opponents within single digits in eight of the 15 games they have played this season.
Despite having lost two of their last three, the Panthers are still in the driver’s seat in the Horizon League and are looking to continue that trend in the future. They have a chance to make it to the top of the league with a victory over the Golden Grizzlies on Saturday.
Oakland has won ten out of their last 15 games against Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Their most recent win was a 83-61 victory in December.
Milwaukee
The Oakland Golden Grizzlies take on the Milwaukee Panthers in a Horizon League game at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena on Saturday. The teams are both coming off of recent wins and are expected to battle for a win in this one.
The Grizzlies were 7-11 across their first 18 games of the season before going 4-3 with losses to Youngstown State, Robert Morris and Northern Kentucky along with wins over Wright State and IUPUI. The Grizzlies were then 4-0 in their next five outings before they lost a pair of one-point games to Detroit and Cleveland State.
Oakland matched up against Green Bay on Thursday and defeated them by 12 points. The Grizzlies were also up 50-31 at the break and held on for the win.
They were led by Blake Lampman with 20 points. Jalen Moore and Keaton Hervey both added 17 points to help the Grizzlies pickup their second win of the week.
As a result, they are currently a modest favorite on the betting line. Their odds are -155 for the win.
On the other hand, the underdogs have a +135 betting line for their victory. They are also a 3-point underdog with a line of 157 for the totals market.
The odds are based on a data-driven algorithm that measures head-to-head matchup results within a closed network of games. These results are then used to calculate the odds for each team.
Both teams have been unable to score at an above average pace this season, but the underdogs have had better success against their spreads. Their ATS record is 6-6 as a 3.5-point underdog or greater.
Over/Under
Over/under betting is a popular type of wager. It’s an easy bet to make, and it can result in a profit if you’re able to bet correctly. However, it’s important to understand the rules of this market and how to place a winning wager.
Before the start of a game, oddsmakers submit a total score based on how they think the teams will play out. The total score is then bet on by the bettors at DraftKings sportsbook.
There are many factors that go into how a total is determined. It can be influenced by a team’s tempo, how good their defense is, and even the weather. The total score can also be affected by how much time is left in the game.
In basketball, a game can last as little as two minutes or as long as three quarters. A game that only has two minutes of garbage time can have an over/under value that’s higher than a three-quarters game with the same point differential.
Similarly, in baseball, the total score can be lowered or increased by factors such as how well a team’s offense is doing and whether they’re playing at home. The total can also be affected by how many home runs a team hits or how many stolen bases they have in an inning.
Point Total
In this college basketball matchup, the Panthers and Golden Grizzlies will be playing to determine the top team in the Horizon League. Oakland will look to get its first win of the conference season, while Milwaukee hopes to build on its 3-0 record in Horizon League play. The Panthers have an ATS record of 13-9-0 this season, while the Golden Grizzlies are 11-15-0 against the spread.
The point total in this college game is set at 157. This is 5.8 points higher than the average point total for Milwaukee games this season and 3.5 more than the over/under for the contest. This is a big game for both teams and should have a very high scoring total.
This is also a high-paced, fast-paced game that will feature lots of turnovers and a lot of shooting. Milwaukee has been struggling to score this season with a low-scoring pace and a poor shot selection, so they will struggle to keep up with Oakland and the high pace that it plays at.
On the other hand, Oakland is a very good defensive team that has been able to stop teams at their own game. They are ranked 7th in the Horizon League in adjusted defensive efficiency and 3rd in effective field goal percentage.
Isabelle Bolender earned the Horizon League Player of the Week this past week after averaging 24.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals over two wins. The senior guard shot 61.9 percent from the field, 60% from three and 91.7% from the free throw line in her last two games and will be a force in this contest against Milwaukee.
In the previous meeting between these two teams, the Golden Grizzlies won a tight game 83-77 in overtime on a layup by Townsend and a pair of buckets by Baker and Freeman. This was the final regular season meeting between the two teams and will determine who goes to the conference tournament.
The Panthers will be playing their final regular season game against Youngstown State before they head to the postseason, so they will need to show a lot to keep their spot atop the Horizon League standings. Their 0-4 record in their last four conference games will likely put them in a tough spot.
They will have to take care of the ball (290th in assist-per-turnover ratio) and be careful not to overvalue their possessions. The Penguins, on the other hand, will value their possessions and have control of the game clock, so they should be able to put up a lot of points in this matchup.
