Who’s playing
Minnesota Golden Gophers @ Wichita State Shockers
Current record: Minnesota 5-1, Wichita State 5-0.
How to watch
What you need to know
Minnesota has played every game this season on its home court, but will have to play Thursday. They will play the Wichita State Shockers at 12:00 PM ET at State Farm Fieldhouse. The Shockers’ offense will have their work cut out for them, as the Golden Gophers’ defense has allowed just 57.2 points per game this season.
If Wichita State goes into halftime tied, they better play better in the second half. That’s what happened last week when Minnesota took over. Minnesota certainly struggled, but they managed to escape with a 68-65 win over Central Michigan on Monday.
Much of Minnesota’s success can be attributed to Dawson Garcia, who had a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Garcia’s performance made up for the delay in his match against Klebb. State last Tuesday. Lucy Patterson was also a key player, scoring 19 points.
Minnesota worked as a team and finished the game with 17 assists. The team has really improved in that area and has now improved its assist total for three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Wichita State entered the tie against St. Louis on a four-game winning streak Friday, but will enter its next game on a five-game winning streak. They hurt the Billikens with an 88-63 blowout win. Oddsmakers sided with the Shockers, but they did not give the team enough credit because the margin was unexpectedly large.
Wichita State’s win was the result of some impressive offensive performances. Most notable was AJ McGinnis with 12 points. McGinnis struggled to find his footing last Monday against Monmouth, but this was a step in the right direction. The team also got some help courtesy of Corey Washington, who scored 13 points in addition to eight rebounds.
This was Minnesota’s third straight home win, improving their record to 5-1. As for Wichita State, the win improves their record to 5-0.
Rebounding will likely be a big factor in this contest. Minnesota hasn’t given up the ball easily this season, averaging only 10.2 turnovers per game. However, Wichita State is averaging only 9.2 points, so it’s not like they’re struggling in this department. Given these competing strengths, it will be interesting to see how their conflict plays out.
Minnesota will be hoping to beat the odds on Thursday, as pundits believe they are headed for a loss. This will be his first time playing as an underdog this season.
odds
Wichita State is a slim two-point favorite against Minnesota, according to the latest college basketball odds.
Oddsmakers had a good feel about the line for this game, as the game started with the Shockers as 1.5-point favorites.
The over-under is 137.5 points.
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