Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Wichita State Shockers Prediction, 11/9/2023 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs Wichita State Shockers

Date: Thursday, November 9, 2023

Location: Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, KS

TV: ESPN+

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (1-0) are headed to Charles Koch Arena on Thursday where they will meet the Wichita State Shockers (1-0).

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers took the court against Kentucky Wesleyan and went home with a win by a final score of 90-64 in their last contest. In reference to personal fouls, the Hilltoppers ended up walking away with 17 while Kentucky Wesleyan recorded 17 personal fouls. They also knocked down 7 out of their 29 tries from beyond the perimeter. Kentucky Wesleyan went 73.3% when shooting free throws by converting 11 of 15 attempts. Additionally, Kentucky Wesleyan snagged 26 rebounds (8 offensive, 18 defensive), but didn't record a block for the team. Kentucky Wesleyan doled out 16 dimes and had 10 steals for this contest. In the matter of defense, Western Kentucky allowed their opponent to shoot 39.7% from the field on 23 out of 58 shooting. They also doled out 15 assists in this game as well as forcing 21 turnovers and having 9 steals. Regarding grabbing rebounds, they earned a total of 34 with 9 of them being offensive. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Hilltoppers converted 20 of their 24 tries for a percentage of 83.3%. Western Kentucky walked away from the contest with a 56.1% FG percentage (32 out of 57) and made 6 out of their 20 shots from distance.

Babacar Faye is someone who had an impact in this contest. He went 83.3% from the field but had no assists at the end of the game. He saw the court for 7 mins and also snagged 10 boards. He ended up finishing with 12 points on 5 of 6 shooting.

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Western Kentucky comes into this game with a win-loss mark of 1-0 on the campaign. They turn it over 16.0 times per game and as a unit they are committing 17.0 personal fouls per game. As a unit, Western Kentucky is collecting 36.0 rebounds per game and has tallied 15 dimes on the year, which ranks 149th in college hoops in terms of passing the ball. The Hilltoppers are connecting on 30.0% on 3-pointers (6 of 20) and 83.3% from the charity stripe. They currently have an average of 90.0 points per outing (87th in Division 1) while shooting 56.1% from the floor.

On the defensive end, the Hilltoppers are forcing their opponents into 22.0 turnovers every game and they draw 17.0 fouls. They rank 299th in college hoops in giving up assists with 16 conceded for the campaign. The Hilltoppers are giving up a shooting percentage of 39.7% (23 of 58) and they surrender 29.0 rebounds per game as a team. They are conceding 24.1% from beyond the arc and they are ranked 168th in college basketball in opponents points per game (64.0).

When they last stepped on the hardwood, the Wichita State Shockers walked away with a victory by a final of 76-59 against Lipscomb. The Shockers snagged 35 defensive rebounds and 12 offensive boards totaling 47 in this matchup. They gave up possession 10 times, while recording 5 steals for this contest. Lipscomb was called for 15 fouls for this game which took the Shockers to the charity stripe for 17 shots. They were able to bury 11 of those for a rate of 64.7%. Regarding shots from beyond the perimeter, Wichita State knocked down 3 of 13 attempts (23.1%). When all was said and done, the Shockers finished shooting 31 for 65 from the field which gave them a percentage of 47.7%. The Shockers allowed Lipscomb to knock down 23 out of their 69 attempts from the floor which left them shooting 33.3% for the contest. They finished 24.3% from 3-point land by going 9 of 37 and finished the game at 4 out of 7 from the free throw line (57.1%). In the matter of attacking the glass, Wichita State allowed Lipscomb to collect 28 in all (8 on the offensive side).

Colby Rogers was important for the Shockers for the game. He buried 8 out of 17 in this game for a field goal rate of 47.1%, and accumulated 6 rebounds. He earned 20 points in his 32 minutes of playing time and added 1 assist for this contest.

Wichita State has a win-loss record of 1-0 this year. The Shockers are responsible for committing 12.0 fouls per contest and they shoot 64.7% from the free throw line. They are assisting teammates 10.0 times per contest (277th in college basketball) and they lose possession via turnover 10.0 times per game. Wichita State has totaled 76 points on the season and they average 51.0 rebounds per contest. When it comes to offensive execution, the Shockers are shooting 47.7% from the floor, which has them ranked 122nd in Division 1.

The Wichita State defense concedes 24.3% from downtown (9 of 37) and opponents are converting on 57.1% of their shots from the free throw line. They concede 15.0 assists and 33.0 rebounds per contest, ranking them 286th and 153rd in college basketball. The Shockers are ranked 126th in Division 1 in points allowed per game with 59.0. They are forcing 9.0 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 33.3% from the floor (87th in college basketball).

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Wichita State

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