The Youngstown State Penguins opened up Horizon League play with two straight losses, but they have since won four out of five to improve their record to 4-3 through the first seven conference matchups. Youngstown State is being led by senior standout Kendrick Perry, who has filled out the stat sheet for the Penguins and kept the team competitive during the first half of the season. Youngstown State will be looking to continue its winning ways and hopefully move up the standings when it faces the Oakland Golden Grizzles on Friday.

Oakland has struggled this season, to say the least, and opened the year with seven straight losses. The squad has slowly improved since November, but it is still below .500 in conference play with a 3-4 record through seven games. The Golden Grizzlies will get the ESPN treatment when the team plays a televised game against Youngstown State on Friday. Let’s take a closer look at the matchup with predictions and analysis.

Youngstown State at Oakland Betting Story Lines

Youngstown State has played solid basketball over the last three weeks, winning four of five matchups while managing to hold its opponents to an average of only 66.4 points per game. The squad is ranked 35th in the nation in points per game with an average of 78.8 per night while also ranking 21st in assists with 16 per game. Kamren Belin is Youngstown State’s second-leading scorer with 11.9 points point per game, while the aforementioned Perry averages an excellent 20.8 points to go along with 3.6 rebounds per game.

The Penguins are coming off a close, one-point win over Wright State on Saturday, and they survived because of two 18-point games from Perry and sophomore Ryan Weber. The squad grabbed only 25 rebounds during the game, which has been one of Youngstown State biggest weaknesses this season. The team averages only 32.6 rebounds per game, which is ranked 290th in the nation.

Oakland has won three of its last four home games but has struggled all season to put together a consistent effort on both sides of the ball. The team is only 3-4 in conference play and has lost two of its last three matchups. Senior Travis Bader leads the team with 19.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.

The Golden Grizzlies are coming off a last-second victory over Illinois-Chicago where senior Duke Mondy hit a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer. Oakland trailed for most of the game but was able to put on a solid defensive performance during the last four minutes of the matchup to pull within two points to set up the final possession.

Youngstown State at Oakland NCAA Betting Odds and Key Trends

Oakland opened as a three-point favorite over the underdog Penguins at BetOnline. Youngstown State is 5-1 ATS over its last six games versus teams with a losing SU record and 8-3 ATS during its last 11 road games following a three or more straight home games. The team is 5-2-1 ATS in its recent matchups after an ATS loss but only 5-13-2 ATS over its last 20 Friday games.

Oakland is 1-4 ATS over its last five Friday games and in its last five overall matchups. The squad is 0-5 ATS over its last five following a SU win and 1-4 ATS in its recent conference matchups. Oakland is also 1-5 ATS over its six games against teams with winning SU records.

Free College Basketball Picks: Youngstown State at Oakland Predictions

Youngstown has struggled on the road and carries a 2-7 road record, but it has managed to play well over its last five outings. The team moves the ball well and gets every player involved in its high-scoring offense. Oakland, on the other hand, has not played well during conference play and has been inconsistent at best over the course of the season. Youngstown has a group of talented scorers, led by Perry’s 20 points per game, and should be able to overwhelm a bad Oakland team. Take Youngtown plus the points.

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