On Thursday’s college basketball schedule, at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, the Oakland Golden Grizzlies will take on the Kentucky Wildcats. The Golden Grizzlies, seeded 14th, come into the game with a season record of 23-11 and clinched both the regular season and conference tournament titles in the Horizon Conference. Their latest win was against Milwaukee on March 12th, marking their eighth win out of the last ten games.
Oakland vs Kentucky Picks
- Pick: Kentucky Wildcats -13.5
Meanwhile, the Kentucky Wildcats enter the matchup as the 3rd seed in the South Region, holding a season record of 23-9 according to the college basketball standings. Despite a setback in the SEC Conference Tournament against Texas A+M on Friday, the Wildcats have managed a 7-3 record in their last ten games.
The victory of this game will advance to face the winner between Texas Tech and North Carolina State. It’s time for our Oakland vs Kentucky betting analysis of the scores and odds available:
Oakland Golden Grizzlies vs Kentucky Wildcats Odds
Oakland Golden Grizzlies vs Kentucky Wildcats Information
Before making your College Basketball picks, some information on both teams:
Oakland Golden Grizzlies (23-11) vs Kentucky Wildcats (23-9)
Location of the game: PPG Paints Arena; Pittsburgh, PA
Date & Time: Thursday March 21st, 2024; 7:10pm EST
How to Watch: CBS
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Oakland Golden Grizzlies vs Kentucky Wildcats Recent Scores
Before we give our College Basketball lines, here are some recent College Basketball scores:
Oakland Golden Grizzlies 5:
- Sunday, February 25th, 2024: 96-75 loss to Wright State
- Saturday, March 2nd, 2024: 75-70 win over Detroit
- Thursday, March 7th, 2024: 75-65 win over Purdue Fort Wayne
- Monday, March 11th, 2024: 74-71 win over Cleveland State
- Tuesday, March 12th, 2024: 83-76 win over Milwaukee
Kentucky Wildcats Last 5:
- Tuesday, February 27th, 2024: 91-89 win at Mississippi State
- Saturday, March 2nd, 2024: 111-102 win over Arkansas Razorbacks
- Wednesday, March 6th, 2024: 93-77 win over Vanderbilt Commodores
- Saturday, March 9th, 2024: 85-81 win at Tennessee
- Friday, March 15th, 2024: 97-87 loss to Texas A+M
Oakland Golden Grizzlies vs Kentucky Wildcats Betting Analysis
The latest NCAAB Odds for these two NCAA Basketball teams:
- Spread: Kentucky Wildcats -13.5, Oakland Golden Grizzlies +13.5
- Total: 162
- Moneyline: Kentucky Wildcats -850, Oakland Golden Grizzlies +570
Explore our BetUs Review to make informed betting decisions!
Oakland Golden Grizzlies vs Kentucky Wildcats Betting Preview
Oakland Back at the Tournament After 13 Years
This marks the Oakland Golden Grizzlies‘ return to the NCAA Tournament after an absence since 2011. The Golden Grizzlies have faced challenges in the tournament, having lost three straight games since their first win in the Opening Round of 2005. Notably, in 2011, Oakland suffered a defeat by four points against Texas.
March has been fun times for the Horizon Conference champions, who have not suffered a loss since their loss to Wright State on February 25th. Throughout their conference tournament, the Golden Grizzlies averaged 78.7 points per game, surpassing their season average of 76.4.
Trey Townsend leads the scoring charge for Oakland, averaging 16.9 points per game, closely followed by Blake Lampman at 13.2 points per game, and Jack Gohlke at 12.2 points per game.
Calipari & the Wildcats Back on Track
On the other side, Kentucky brags about a storied tournament history with eight national titles under their belt, the most recent being in 2012. However, their recent tournament performances have been up and down. Last season, the Wildcats were taken down in the second round, defeating Providence in Round One but losing to Kansas State in the next round. Their journey in 2022 ended in disappointment with an upset by 15th seed St. Peter’s.
Under the guidance of Coach Calipari, the Kentucky Wildcats hit a rough patch mid-season but found some positive momentum as they headed into the SEC Tournament with five straight wins. Most importantly, Kentucky has shown improvement defensively, addressing a key area of concern during their struggles. Their recent losses, where they allowed 94, 103, and 89 points, highlighted this defensive improvement.
Antonio Reeves and Rob Dillingham stand out as offensive threats for the Wildcats, with Reeves leading the team with 20 points per game. Dillingham follows closely with 15.4 points per game, while Reed Sheppard contributes 12.8 points and 4.5 assists per game.
Oakland Golden Grizzlies vs Kentucky Wildcats Betting Prediction
It has been a fun ride for the Golden Grizzlies, but it comes to an end here. The athleticism of the Kentucky Wildcats grows to be too much here. Look for Oakland to stick around for a while, but when push comes to shove, the Wildcats win by 15+ points in this game. Our final bet for this first-round game is the Kentucky Wildcats -13.5 over the Oakland Golden Grizzlies. We hope you enjoyed our Oakland vs Kentucky betting analysis!
- Pick: Kentucky Wildcats -13.5
Discover the latest stats and trends of this matchup here.
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