Abilene Christian Wildcats vs Grand Canyon Antelopes NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/16/25
Looking to win big? The Wildcats and Antelopes face off at 9:00 ET on ESPN+. The Antelopes are hosting the game at GCU Arena in Phoenix, AZ. The odds for this Western Athletic conference game currently have Grand Canyon as the -13.5 point favorite with the over/under line sitting at 144.5 points.
ABILENE CHRISTIAN WILDCATS VS GRAND CANYON ANTELOPES BETTING PICK
The Pick: Abilene Christian Wildcats +13.5
This game will be played at GCU Arena at 9:00 ET on Thursday, January 16th.
WHY BET THE ABILENE CHRISTIAN WILDCATS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-71 in favor of the Antelopes.
- Even though we have Grand Canyon winning straight-up, we like Abilene Christian at +13.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 144.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.
Will the Wildcats Defense Show Up on the Road?
Abilene Christian dropped to 5-9 on the season after a narrow 66-64 loss to Seattle on Saturday. The Wildcats were +9 underdogs going into the game but managed to cover the spread.
Abilene Christian led 40-38 at halftime but struggled offensively in the second half, scoring just 24 points while allowing 28. The game’s total points of 130 fell short of the 137.5 O/U line.
Abilene Christian put up 64 points in their last game, shooting 48.3% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 51.7%, with a 53.5% success rate on two-pointers and 33.3% from beyond the arc, hitting 5 of 15 threes. They struggled at the free-throw line, making just 3 of 7 attempts (42.9%).
Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe led the way with 23 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 70% from the field. Bradyn Hubbard was perfect from deep, hitting 3 of 3 threes and finishing with 13 points. Paris Dawson contributed 12 points and 8 assists, while Quion Williams added 16 points and 9 rebounds.
Abilene Christian’s defense gave up 66 points in their last game, with opponents shooting 42% from the field. Inside the arc, they allowed 17 of 30 shots to fall, a 56% success rate.
From three-point range, Abilene Christian held their opponents to just 4 made threes on 20 attempts, a 20% shooting performance. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 29 times, where they converted 20 free throws.
Do the Antelopes Have What it Takes to Win as Home Favorites?
Grand Canyon Antelopes Recent Game/Games
Grand Canyon fell to 10-5 on the season after a 72-64 road loss to Utah Valley on Thursday. The Antelopes entered the game as -3.5 favorites but failed to cover the spread.
After trailing 35-25 at halftime, Grand Canyon scored 39 points in the 2nd half but allowed 37. The game’s total points of 136 fell short of the 144.5 O/U line.
Grand Canyon’s offense put up 64 points in their last game, shooting 43.6% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 47.3%. They connected on 50% of their two-point attempts (19/38) but struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 5 of 17 threes (29.4%).
At the free-throw line, the Antelopes shot 61.1% (11/18) and grabbed 9 offensive rebounds. Tyon Grant-Foster led the way with 22 points and 8 rebounds, while Dominick Nelson added 21 points and 8 boards, hitting 50% of his threes (2/4).
Grand Canyon’s defense gave up 72 points in this one, but they did a solid job of limiting the damage from the field. The Antelopes held their opponent to just 36% shooting overall, including 38% from two-point range with a 17/44 performance.
From beyond the arc, Grand Canyon allowed 6 threes on 19 attempts, a 31% clip. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 27 times, where they converted 20 of those attempts for 74%. The Antelopes gave up 17 offensive rebounds in the game.