AAC foes will clash when the No. 9 Wichita State Shockers (12-2, 2-0 AAC) go head-to-head against the South Florida Bulls (7-9, 0-3 AAC) at Charles Koch Arena. Wichita State opened as a 29.5-point favorite, while the games Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 136.5 points. Action begins at 4 p.m. ET on Sunday, January 7, 2018, and it can be seen on CBS Sports Network.
South Florida Bulls at Wichita State Shockers Betting Preview
The last time the Bulls played, they lost a close one to the East Carolina Pirates, 67-65. With 18 points on 6-for-11 shooting, Stephan Jiggetts was the top scorer from either team. East Carolina had a turnover percentage of 8.9 (better than their season average of 19.0). South Florida, meanwhile, had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (33.3 vs. 25.8).
The Shockers will look to keep it rolling after blowing out the Houston Cougars in their last contest, 81-63. Wichita State received a boost from Landry Shamet, who was the games leading scorer with 18 points on 6-for-8 shooting. Wichita State dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a turnover percentage of 10.6 (better than their season average of 15.3) and a free throw rate of 0.293 (above their season average of 0.248). For those same stats, Houston put up marks of 18.9 and 0.232, respectively.
Wichita State could have their way on defense as they square off against one of the NCAA’s worst offenses. The Shockers currently rank 32nd in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.458), while South Florida is 303rd in effective field goal percentage (0.476).
Both of these teams tend to finish under the projected point total. South Florida games have gone under 58.3 percent of the time, while games featuring Wichita State have gone under 58.3 percent of the time. The Shockers hold a clear advantage in both straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records. They are 12-2 SU and 5-7 ATS, while the Bulls are 7-9 SU and 3-8-1 ATS.
South Florida Bulls vs. Wichita State Shockers Betting Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Wichita State, ATS Winner – South Florida, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Shockers rank 55th in blocks per game (4.4) while the Bulls rank 122nd in blocks allowed per game (3.9).
- Wichita State ranks 16th in assists per game (17.9) while South Florida ranks 190th (12.6).
- The Shockers rank 84th in three pointers attempted per game (24.0) while the Bulls rank 238th (17.5).
- Wichita State ranks sixth in rebounds per game (42.7) while South Florida ranks 154th (35.6).
Betting Trends:
- The Shockers average margin of victory in their last five games has been 7.8, down from 14.8 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Bulls have scored an average of 62.4 points per game (1.5 below their season average) and allowed an average of 71.4 points per game (3.3 above their season average).
