Northern Iowa vs Wichita State Odds Prediction

Riding on 16 wins in their last 18 games, the No. 25 Wichita State Shockers (18-6, 12-1 in MVC) are hoping they can stretch their 3.5-game lead atop the conference standings when they host the surging Northern Iowa Panthers (15-11, 7-6 in MVC) in Saturday’s NCAA basketball odds. This game marks the second times these two teams are playing each other this season; the Shockers won the first clash that was played in Iowa. Find below a succinct NCAAB betting guide of this second encounter.

How to Bet Northern Iowa @ Wichita State NCAAB Odds Game and TV Info

When: Saturday, February 13, 12:00 pm ET Where: Charles Koch Arena, Wichita, Kansas TV: ESPN2 Radio: KEYN 103,7 TV Stream: WatchESPN

Why Bet on Northern Iowa

Since losing 6 of their first 8 games in the MVC, the Panthers have been an entirely different group, rattling off five straight wins, culminating in their 83-69 beatdown of Missouri on Wednesday night. Jeremy Morgan was the star of this rout, posting a career-high 21 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists, leading four UNI starters with double-digit scoring in the game–Bennett Koch (19), Matt Bohannon (19), and Wes Washpun (11). But even with the motivation of their five-game winning streak, the Panthers will be wary of the task ahead of them against Wichita State, a team that beat them to the tune of 74-55 when the two teams met on January 20th. That said, Northern Iowa has a big X-factor in their improved defense that has not allowed more than 69 points in the five-game streak, and has limited three of its last five opponents to less than 58-or-less points. Playing well and winning both at home and on the road is also a big morale-booster for the Panthers ahead of Saturday’s game. “We’re playing good basketball right now,” said Bohannon. “The guys are playing with a lot of confidence. We’ve got some things to clean up on, but if we go in there (in Wichita State) with a confident mindset, anything is possible. We’ve played well in big games this season.”

Why Bet on Wichita State

Besides the fact that the Shockers already recorded a 19-point win over the Panthers in Iowa, Wichita State will be coming into this game with tons of confidence after winning 12 of its last 13 games. In addition, Wichita State is yet to lose a game at home in conference play (6-0 SU at the Charles Koch Arena) and is 10-1 SU at home for the season. This should be a big shot in the arm for the Shockers, who will be playing a Northern Iowa team that is has an iffy 6-7 road record this season. Meanwhile, Wichita State’s two main stars—Ron Baker (13.9 PPG, 3.2 APG and 4.8 RPG) and Fred VanVleet (12.6 PPG, 5.7 APG and 3.4 RPG)—are still shining as brightly as ever, while the likes of Markis McDuffie and Shaq Morris have upped their performance levels. This offers the Shockers sufficient weapons to throw at Northern Iowa’s defense. Added to the fact that the Shockers own the 7th-best scoring defense in the nation (allowing just 60.7 PPG), the Panthers will definitely have their work cut out for them on Saturday.

Expert NCAAB Predictions and Picks

Wichita State bulldozes its way to another solid double-digit win plus cover of the spread, though both defenses factor into the game quite well, leading to an average scoring affair that will keep the total UNDER. NCAAB Picks: Wichita State for SU, Wichita State for ATS Game Total: UNDER, Score Prediction: Wichita State 68, Northern Iowa 55.