Wichita State Shockers vs. Arizona Wildcats Picks, Predictions, Odds

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

3 minute read

Nov. 19, 2021

Dan Dobish
VI Betting Expert
VegasInsider.com

The Wichita State Shockers (3-0) and Arizona Wildcats (3-0) tangle at the Roman Main Event Basketball Tournament at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Friday. Tip-off is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on ESPNU.

Score Prediction

Arizona 75, Wichita State 56

Best Bets

Wichita State Shockers vs. Arizona Wildcats Predictions

Both of these teams have arrived on The Strip with an unblemished record through three games. However, each team has taken different directions to get to this point.

Wichita State opened the season thwarting an upset bid by Jacksonville State of the Atlantic Sun Conference with a low-scoring 60-57 victory. The Shockers were a dismal 39% (22-for-57) from the field against the Gamecocks, as well as a terrible 4-for-22 (18%) from behind the 3-point line. On a positive note, Wichita was 12-for-14 from the free-throw line, while turning it over just 11 times with seven blocked shots. The Shockers were slightly better against South Alabama, winning 64-58. Like the opener, Wichita State was not good from long distance at 31%. Slowly, but surely, Wichita State is starting to thaw in the shooting department. Three guys were in double digits in a win over Tarleton State, and the Shockers shot a season-best 43% from the perimeter, hitting 9-for-21.

Arizona, on the other hand, has had no such shooting woes or close shaves to date. The Wildcats opened by boat-racing Northern Arizona 81-52, posting 11 steals with nine blocked shots to make up for the fact they were just 32% from the 3-point line and 71% from the charity stripe. Against UTRGV, the Wildcats rolled up 104 points while hitting a gaudy 61% from the floor. For a second straight game, Arizona was just 71% from the line, so that's a figure which will need to improve when the games start to tighten up. The Wildcats dumped in 97 points against North Dakota State in the tune-up for this game, slightly improved at 16-of-22 from the free-throw line at 73%. The Wildcats were as hot as the August sun at Saguaro National Park, hitting 13-of-27 (48%) from behind the 3-point line against the Bison in a 97-45 laugher.

Wichita State Shockers vs. Arizona Wildcats Betting Odds

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Wichita State Shockers vs. Arizona Wildcats Betting Resources

• Matchup: AAC vs. Pac-12
• Date: Friday, November 19, 2021
• Venue: T-Mobile Arena
• Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
• TV-Time: ESPNU - 10:00 p.m. ET

• Injury Report
• Wooden Award Odds
• Conference Futures Market
• Power Rankings

Wichita State Shockers Betting Analysis

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 3-0
• ATS: 1-2
• O/U: 0-3

Arizona Wildcats Betting Analysis

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 3-0
• ATS: 3-0
• O/U: 2-1

The Wildcats have been running wild in the early going against Northern Arizona, UTRGV and North Dakota State, although that's not exactly a murderer's row. Arizona will get their best challenge from the defensive-minded Shockers, who are looking to knock the Wildcats down a peg. Arizona has rolled up 94.0 PPG, shooting 50.3% from the field, and 39.5% from downtown. The good news for the Wildcats is that they have been defensive-minded themselves, holding the opposition to 27.6% from the field, best mark in the nation, while allowing just 49.0 PPG, which is fourth in the country.

Arizona won its most recent neutral-floor game against Washington in the Pac-12 Tournament on March 11, 2020, the day before everything was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to that game, the Wildcats were 3-1 in the regular season with an 0-4 ATS mark on a neutral floor. Including the postseason, Arizona is 1-7 ATS in the past eight neutral-site games, last winning in the regular season against Iowa State on Nov. 19, 2018.

Arizona is a perfect 3-0 ATS through the first three games this season. (AP)

Inside the Stats - Wichita State Shockers

• Record: 3-0
• VI Ranking:
• PS/G: 63.0
• PA/G: 55.3
• ORtg: 33.0
• DRtg: 28.0

Inside the Stats - Arizona Wildcats

• Record: 3-0
• VI Ranking: 26
• PS/G: 94.0
• PA/G: 49.0
• ORtg: 47.0
• DRtg: 30.7

Key Players to Watch

• WICH: Ricky Council IV - G (12.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 2.0 APG)
• WICH: Dexter Dennis - G (11.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.3 SPG)
• ZONA: Azuolas Tubelis - F (16.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.0 SPG)
• ZONA: Christian Koloko - C (14.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1.3 SPG)

Wichita State Shockers vs. Arizona Wildcats Betting Conclusion

Wichita State Shockers vs. Arizona Wildcats Betting Trends

• TBD.

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