Planning on watching today’s Penguins and Golden Grizzlies game? Catch the action at Athletics Center O’rena in Rochester, MI, as the Golden Grizzlies hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this game is set at 153.5 points, and the Golden Grizzlies are the home favorites against the Penguins in a Horizon League conference matchup.

YOUNGSTOWN STATE PENGUINS VS OAKLAND GOLDEN GRIZZLIES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Oakland Golden Grizzlies -3.5

This game will be played at Athletics Center O’rena at 7:00 ET on Wednesday, January 17th.

WHY BET THE OAKLAND GOLDEN GRIZZLIES:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-68 in favor of the Golden Grizzlies.
  • Not only will Oakland pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -3.5.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 153.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 144 points.

Will the Penguins Win on the Road?

Youngstown State will look to extend their three-game winning streak when they take on Oakland. The Penguins are 13-5 overall, including a perfect 6-0 mark at home. However, they have struggled on the road, going just 3-4.

For the season, Youngstown State has been the underdog in five of their 18 games, going 1-4 in those contests. They are coming off an 81-71 victory over Wright State.

Youngstown State’s ATS record this season is 7-6, including a 3-4 mark on the road. As the underdog, the Penguins have gone 2-3 vs. the spread this year. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, Youngstown State is 6-4 ATS.

Today’s over/under line of 153.5 is higher than the average over/under line in Youngstown State’s games this year (149.5). So far, 9 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 and the average scoring total is 156 points.

Coming off their recent game, the Youngstown State offense tallied 81 points in a matchup against Wright State. Their field goal percentage for the game was 41.5%, and they made 10 threes. Ziggy Reid led the scoring for the Penguins, contributing 20 points. Additionally, Brett Thompson chipped in with 20 points.

Youngstown State’s defense is currently in line with the NCAA average for points allowed, allowing an average of 70.6 points per game. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Youngstown State’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 39.1% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 32.3% this season.

Will the Golden Grizzlies Make it Happen at Home?

At home this season, Oakland has a record of 5-3, and they have won their last three games at home. So far, they have been the favorite in nine of their games and have a record of 7-2 in those games. They are 11-8 overall this season and have won four games in a row.

Youngstown State has a road record of 5-5 this season, and their average scoring margin on the road is -0.8 points per game. Oakland’s average scoring margin at home is +1.5 points per game.

As the favorite this season, Oakland has gone 5-4 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Golden Grizzlies have an ATS record of 5-5. At home this year, Oakland is 4-4 ATS and their home ATS mark over their last 10 games is 5-5.

Today’s over/under line of 153.5 is higher than the average over/under line in Oakland’s games this season (145.6). This year, 12 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s OU line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 147 points, which is lower than their season average of 148 points per game.

Oakland is fresh off a strong offensive showing, putting up 88 points versus IUPUI. This output is higher than their season-average of 74.8 points per game. The team’s top scorer is Trey Townsend, who comes into today’s matchup with an average of 17.1, while Jack Gohlke also maintains a PPG average of 10 leading up to the game.

Currently, the Golden Grizzlies’ defense holds the 209th rank in the nation, allowing 74.3 points per game. Oakland’s three-point defense is currently 198th in the country at 8.8 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 44.9% of their shots vs. Oakland.