Wichita State Shockers vs Florida Atlantic Owls Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 01/18/2024

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Thursday, January 18, 2024

Venue:  Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena, Boca Raton, FL

Where to Watch:  ESPN2

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Wichita +14.5, FAU -14.5; Over/Under:  152.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Wichita +14.5, FAU -14.5; Over/Under:  152.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Wichita +14.5, FAU -14.5; Over/Under:  152.5 points

Wichita State Shockers:  8-8 (0-3) (13th place, AAC)

Florida Atlantic Owls:  13-4 (3-1) (4th place, AAC)

Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! Brian Bitler is on a HOT STREAK in college basketball on a 23-9-1 CBB RUN for +$12,940 PROFIT! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.

Wichita State Shockers:  0-5  last 5

Florida Atlantic Owls:  3-2  last 5

Wichita State is entering this game with an 8-8 record overall, a 0-3 record in conference games, and they are 1-2 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Memphis Tigers in their last game. Colby Rogers led the team in points per game in that game with 20 while Harlond Beverly was next on the team with 17. Harlond Beverly led the team in assists with 6 in that game while Dalen Ridgnal and Quincy Ballard each led the team in rebounds with 5. They were 55% from the field, 52% from 3-point range, and 58.3% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 74.2 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 74.2 PPG against them. Wichita State has an ATS record of 4-11 this season and their O/U record is 9-6.

Florida Atlantic is entering this game with a 13-4 record overall, a 3-1 conference record, and they are 6-1 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the UAB Blazers in their last game. Johnell Davis led the team in points in that game with 30 while Vladislav Goldin was next on the team with 18. Bryan Greenlee led the team in assists with 5 in that game while Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin each led the team in rebounds with 8. They were 48.5% from the field, 29.6% from 3-point range, and 85.7% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 82.4 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 71 PPG against them. Florida Atlantic has an ATS record of 9-8 this season and their O/U record is 8-8-1.

The current betting odds have FAU listed as a 14.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. FAU has looked good in their games this season with their 13-4 record overall which has them ranked inside the top 25 teams in the country. They have looked good in their new conference with their 3-1 conference record which has them near the top of the AAC and they have also looked great on their home court with their 6-1 home record. Meanwhile, Wichita State has looked terrible in their games this season with their 8-8 record overall and their 0-3 conference record which has them right near the bottom of the AAC. They haven't looked good in their road games either with their 1-2 road record. They just lost badly in their last game against another ranked conference team as Memphis blew them out and they don't have the talent to keep up with FAU as they play very well on the defensive end and can stop Wichita State from scoring for long periods of time. FAU hasn't looked great in their games lately with a lot of closer wins and they have really struggled more in their road games, but they will be looking for a big win now that they are back on their home court and they will have no problem winning this game by over 20 points against one of the worst teams in the conference right now. The best way to place a bet here is on FAU to cover the spread in this game. 

Wichita State Florida Atlantic Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Thursday, January 18, 2024 (7:00 pm ET start time) is FAU 76 Wichita State 52.

Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this Wichita State Shockers Florida Atlantic Owls prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAB predictions and previews.

Wichita State Shockers: 4-11 ATS in all games. 5-17 ATS when the total is 150 to 159.5. 2-8 ATS after a game where they failed to cover the spread. 18-8 OVER as an underdog. 26-12 OVER against conference opponents. 13-2 OVER after a combined score of 155 points or more.

Florida Atlantic Owls: 21-12 ATS as a home favorite or pick. 24-14 ATS in all home games. 28-18 ATS after 2 or more consecutive wins. 28-17 OVER against conference opponents. 16-6 OVER off a home no-cover where the team won straight up as a favorite. 

Wichita State Shockers:  None.

Florida Atlantic Owls:  G. Rosado (F) Mid Feb - Knee.

"We couldn’t get caught up in a shootout, and we did. We are not the kind of team that can win those games.” - Paul Mills after his team’s loss against Memphis in their last game on Sunday.

“We gave up 24 points in the first half and six of those 24 were off our turnovers and bad decisions on offense. For the first time all year, we were happy with our defensive energy, effort and intangibles for 20 minutes. And in the second half, we got a little bit loose and content.” - Dusty May after his team’s win against UAB in their last game on Sunday.

Q. Ballard 

X. Bell 

H. Beverly 

K. Pohto 

C. Rogers

J. Davis 

J. Gaffney 

V. Goldin 

A. Martin 

B. Weatherspoon

PPG: C. Rogers (16.1)

APG: H. Beverly (3.7)

Reb/G: D. Ridgnal (7.6)

PPG: J. Davis (17.4)

APG: B. Greenlee (3.2)

Reb/G: V. Goldin (7.1)

Coaches:

Wichita State Shockers: Paul Mills (1st season)

Florida Atlantic Owls: Dusty May (6th season)