Grand Canyon vs Liberty Odds, Pick
| Grand Canyon Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -110 | 140.5 -110o / -110u | +185 |
| Liberty Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -110 | 140.5 -110o / -110u | -225 |
I love seeing true mid-major teams play against one another in hopes of securing needle-moving wins before league play. Seeing these matchups is great for the sport.
We've had multiple instances already, and here's another. This time, the Grand Canyon Lopes travel from Phoenix to Lynchburg, Va., where the Liberty Flames await.
Led by coach Bryce Drew, GCU aims to avoid the dreaded letdown following the first top-25 win in program history on Tuesday over San Diego State. The four-day turnaround is quick from such a hard-fought battle, compared to Liberty's 35-point shellacking of Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday.
Below, we have Grand Canyon vs Liberty odds and a pick for Saturday.
Grand Canyon Antelopes
The Lopes trend of having two dominant scoring options continues. It starts with Tyon Grant-Foster, a versatile three-level scoring threat who can shoot over smaller defenders and blaze past slow defenders. At 6-foot-7, Grant-Foster is a total nightmare for teams who can't match his size on the wing. Grant-Foster, on his third team in three seasons (Kansas, DePaul), is ranked 11th nationally in scoring at 21.8 points per game.
Additionally, Grand Canyon's best path to exploiting Liberty is on the offensive glass. The Lopes create second-chance opportunities on 39% of possessions, which ranks 12th nationally. The downside? Liberty is an elite defensive rebounding team, so something has to give.
The front-court trio of Gabe McGlothan, Sydney Curry and Duke Brennan have all secured 15-plus offensive rebounds this season. McGlothan is the Lopes' biggest key due to his perimeter shooting prowess and ability to play either frontcourt position.
The second piece to GCU's star tandem is Ray Harrison, who won WAC preseason player of the year. Harrison's posted big scoring numbers in four years of college, averaging 15.5 points in his second season at GCU after averaging 17.8 points in 2022.
When the Antelopes get 20 points each from its two best players, it's difficult to beat them.
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Liberty Flames
The Flames come into the contest at 7-2, with losses in two of its past three games to Charleston and Florida Atlantic. It's easy to spot how they came out on the losing end of those games, shooting just 32% from three in both games. The biggest key in Ritchie McKay's offensive system is hitting three-point shots. When you're attempting threes nearly half the time, a fair amount of them must fall for your team to have a chance.
Outside of the strange two-game split against FAU and Charleston, Liberty drills 37% of its perimeter jumpers. Those splits are aberrations, thanks to consistent numbers of 42% from flame-throwing guard Kaden Metheny and versatile forward Kyle Rode. Liberty seldom brings in transfers, and Metheny's made a seamless fit into the system.
Who needs to perform for Liberty in this game? Sophomore guard Collin Porter turning around the shooing struggles is worth monitoring. Porter is 1-for-12 from deep in the past two games and only shoots 31% overall, down 9% from last season. He's the one missing piece from turning Liberty's dynamic duo into a terrific trio.
Liberty is always consistent. It's nothing new under McKay, who's won 20-plus games in six consecutive seasons at the school.
Grand Canyon vs. Liberty
Betting Pick & Prediction
The Lopes have a different type of aura about them. They've had a lousy start to a few games, namely against UT-Arlington, but managed to lock in during the game's most important moments. While the environment and travel aren't favorable for GCU, the team is more talented on paper and has looked better of late.
One of the best parts about GCU is its ability to switch personnel mid-game. Sometimes games call for more size, which means it's the perfect time for Curry or Brennan. When GCU plays teams with bigs who struggle defending the perimeter, putting McGlothan at the five and Isaiah Shaw at the four works. That's GCU's biggest advantage against Liberty.
Roll with the Lopes.
Pick: Grand Canyon +4.5
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