Wichita State vs Memphis Odds, Pick
| Wichita State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total Points | Moneyline |
+10.5 -110 | 157.5 -110o / -110u | +450 |
| Memphis Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Point Spread | Total Points | Moneyline |
-10.5 -110 | 157.5 -110o / -110u | -650 |
Two teams whose seasons are falling apart will meet in Memphis on Saturday as Wichita State heads to take on Penny Hardaway and the Memphis Tigers.
Wichita State is just 1-7 overall in AAC play, and Memphis now finds itself in seventh place in the conference with a 4-4 record.
Wichita State may just be the worst team in this league. With a 9-12 record overall, not much has gone right for the Shockers this season. They've now lost nine of their last 10 games, including a 26-point defeat at home against Memphis the first time these two teams met.
The biggest problem for Memphis is that the Wichita State game was the last time it won. That game was played on January 14. Since then, Memphis has completely fallen apart, losing its last four games against South Florida, Tulane, UAB and Rice.
The Tigers now likely find themselves on the outside looking in for the NCAA tournament, and a decisive win here is much needed.
Wichita State Shockers
Wichita State is one of the worst shooting teams in all of college basketball. The Shockers not only don't make many 3s, but they barely even attempt many shots from outside.
On the season, the team is shooting just 30% from deep, but even more worrisome is that just 32% of their shots are attempted from beyond the arc.
Wichita State ranks 199th offensively and is slightly better defensively, where it slots in at 144th nationally. The Shockers do a great job avoiding fouls, ranking 19th in the country at preventing teams from getting to the free-throw line.
Wichita State likes to play fast, which can sometimes lead to blow outs against much more talented teams. That's exactly what happened the first time these two teams played, but Memphis looks like a much different team now than it was then.
Memphis Tigers
For starters, Jahvon Quinerly came off the bench for Memphis last game. Quinerly was recently named a Cousy Award finalist as one of the 10 best point guards in college basketball, and he was benched prior to the Tigers' loss to Rice.
There has been plenty of movement in and out of the Memphis rotation, including the mid-season addition of Nae'Qwan Tomlin, who was a key piece at Kansas State last season.
Memphis still ranks as a much better team across the board than Wichita State, as it owns both a top-100 offense and defense. The Tigers are comfortable playing up-tempo, ranking 26th nationally in offensive pace.
Memphis' one key vulnerability is on the offensive glass, where it ranks 330th in preventing offensive rebounds. That didn't matter much the first time these two teams met, but it could here.
Wichita State vs. Memphis
Betting Pick & Prediction
KenPom favors Memphis by 11, and while it's a bit surprising to see a team with so many recent struggles favored by 10+ on the analytics sites, it makes sense given the matchup and the history between these two teams this season.
All signs point to a get-right game for a Memphis team that's desperate to turn its season around before it's too late.
