The Wichita State Shockers are 29-0 on the season. They are just two games away from a perfect regular season. This will be their final road game in Missouri Valley Conference play. There is a major target on Wichita State’s back at this point, but they have been able to handle it extremely well thus far. The Shockers will be on national television Tuesday night at Bradley. Let’s take a look at this contest.
Wichita State Shockers vs. Bradley Braves Free Pick & Preview
Time/TV: February 25 on ESPN at 9 pm EST
College Basketball Betting Odds from BetOnline
College Basketball Betting Favorite: Wichita State -12
Game Preview:
Wichita State has been a high quality mid-major for the last several years. Wichita State burst onto the scene in a big way by getting to the Final Four last year before losing to the eventual champion (Louisville). Gregg Marshall’s team has almost all of the same pieces as last year, and they are rolling right through their competition this year. Wichita State is just two games away from completing a perfect regular season.
There is always a big debate on the Shockers. Is this an elite team or a team that plays a bad schedule and dominates because of that? I’m more in the camp that believes this is a very good team. Wichita State has two elite players in Ron Baker and CleAnthony Early. Any team in the country would love to have those two guys on their team. Wichita State has a very good starting five, and the team is well-balanced. If Wichita State has any weakness, it is probably that they aren’t quite as deep as most top teams.
Wichita State is among the best in the nation on the defensive end of the floor. The Shockers are 16th in the nation in points allowed per game at just 60.8 allowed per contest. They are second in the nation in defensive rebounding, so opponents very rarely get a second chance against this Shockers defense. Wichita State is 19-6-1 ATS this year, so they’ve been ahead of the books all year.
The Bradley Braves are just 12-17 so far this season. Bradley has been playing better of late, but the team has struggled badly this year. They lost at Wichita State by 22 points earlier this year. Bradley has home losses this year to USF, IUPUI, IPFW, and Indiana State. Bradley has been playing a zone defense lately, and I expect to see them in a zone against the Shockers Tuesday night.
Bradley averages just 63.8 points per game, which is 322nd in the nation. They are shooting just 42 percent from the floor for the season. The Braves need this to be a low scoring game to have a chance.
Free Pick: Wichita State -12
Wichita State has been focused all year and the oddsmakers haven’t been able to set a number high enough on their games. Bradley will try hard here, but I don’t think they have the talent to make this a game.
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