Hor foes will collide when the Milwaukee Panthers (7-6) meet the Oakland Golden Grizzlies (8-4) at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. Oakland opened as a 3-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 149.5 points. Action gets underway at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 28, 2017.
Oakland Golden Grizzlies vs. Milwaukee Panthers ATS Preview
The last time the Golden Grizzlies played, they were victorious over the Eastern Michigan Eagles, 86-81. Jalen Hayes was the games leading scorer with 37 points on 14-for-21 shooting. Oakland dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a phenomenal free throw rate of 0.382 (above their season average of 0.263) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 42.9 (above their season average of 27.2). Eastern Michigan put up marks of 0.116 and 35.1, respectively, for those same stats.
The Panthers are hoping for a better outcome after their 66-63 loss to the Western Michigan Broncos in their last contest. Brock Stull was the top scorer from either team with 23 points on 8-for-17 shooting. Western Michigan did a terrific job of making free throws (8-9; 88.9 percent). Milwaukee, on the other hand, made 13 of their 29 three pointers (44.8 percent).
Points at the line could be few and far between for Milwaukee in this contest. The Panthers currently rank 336th in the nation with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.166, while Oakland ranks 69th in FTA rate allowed (0.194). This contest should be a battle of contrasting tempos. The up-tempo Golden Grizzlies rank 26th in possessions per game, while the more half-court oriented Panthers rank 333rd.
These two teams are complete opposites in terms of the O/U total. Oakland games have finished over 60.0 percent of the time, while games featuring Milwaukee have gone under 63.6 percent of the time. The Golden Grizzlies have the better straight up (SU) record (8-4 vs. 7-6), but the Panthers hold the significant advantage against the spread (ATS) (5-6 vs. 4-6).
Hayes has really been playing well over the last five games for Oakland, averaging 21.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams. The Golden Grizzlies won both matchups played against each other last season. In the last matchup, Oakland won 86-75. The Golden Grizzlies dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a ridiculous effective field goal percentage of 0.634 and a turnover percentage of 14.6. The Panthers put up marks of 0.509 and 16.4, respectively, for those same stats.
Oakland Golden Grizzlies at Milwaukee Panthers Free Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Oakland, ATS Winner – Oakland, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Golden Grizzlies rank 11th in three pointers allowed per game (16.6) while the Panthers rank 76th (20.2).
- Oakland is 2-5 ATS on the road with 4 overs and 3 unders.
- At home, Milwaukee is 3-3 ATS with 5 unders and 1 over.
- Oakland ranks 20th in assists per game (17.9) while Milwaukee ranks 189th (12.4).
- The Panthers rank 48th in steals allowed per game (5.5) while the Golden Grizzlies rank 168th (8.2).
- Milwaukee ranks 105th in blocks per game (3.4) while Oakland ranks 172nd in blocks allowed per game (6.3).
Bettings Trends:
- Milwaukee is 1-3 ATS with 2 overs and 2 unders in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Oakland is 2-2 ATS with 4 overs.
- The Panthers have been outscored by an average of 3.2 points in their last five games. For the season, Milwaukee has defeated opponents by an average of 0.1 points.
- During their last five games, the Golden Grizzlies have scored an average of 86.4 points per game (5.0 above their season average) and allowed an average of 77.0 points per game (3.0 below their season average).
