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Wright State vs Oakland Game Preview, Odds, Picks & Predictions

Horizon League Foes Meet for Second Time in Two Weeks

Oakland Perfect at Home

The race to the Horizon League title is heating up with five teams within two games of first place. Two of those title contenders will meet when Wright State visits Oakland on Friday.

Both teams shot better than 48 percent inside the 3-point line in the previous meeting between the teams on Feb. 5, which was won by Wright State.

Wright State vs Oakland Game Preview, Odds, Picks & Predictions
Justin Casterline/Getty Images/AFP

Oakland is one of two teams in the Horizon League yet to lose at home and that is one reason the Golden Grizzlies are favored.

Wright State and Oakland are within range of the conference lead but, ultimately, the March Madness odds won’t matter for either team as winning the Horizon League tournament is the only way they will secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Wright State at Oakland Game Information

  • Game: Wright State (15-12) at Oakland (18-8)
  • Location: Athletics Center O’rena, Rochester, Michigan
  • Day/Time: Friday, 9 p.m. ET
  • Television: ESPN2

Wright State Looking to Regain Shooting Touch

Wright State has made at least 50 percent of its field-goal attempts 10 times this season, but the ability to convert on offense has been missing in the last two games, which can’t be ignored by those who bet online.

The Raiders made just 29 percent of their shots in a three-point loss at Milwaukee and it was only slightly better (37 percent) in a home loss to Northern Kentucky. Grant Basile was the only starter to make more shots than he missed vs. Northern Kentucky. Basile was 9 of 15 from the field en route to 25 points. The other four starters were a combined 11 of 38.

Wright State fell to fourth place in the Horizon League standings but is only 1½ games behind first-place Cleveland State.

Wright State last played in the NCAA Tournament in 2018 and it will take a run in the conference tournament to be a part of the  March Madness bracket.

Leading scorer Tanner Holden is just 8 of 26 from the field in the last two games after making at least 50 percent of his shot in each of his last eight games.

The Raiders are 1-5 when Holden is held under 40 percent shooting.

Wright State is 4-2 against the college basketball spreads in its last six games.

Oakland Top Scorer Continues Raising Cain

Oakland’s Jamal Cain was named the Horizon League’s Player of the Week for the fourth time this season after scoring 29 points in a three-point win over Robert Morris and following that up with 32 in a 75-59 win over Detroit.


Cain has scored at least 20 points in the last three games and five times in the last seven contests. He also has at least 12 rebounds in six of the last seven games.

Cain is averaging 20.5 points and 10.1 rebounds in his lone season at Oakland after spending the last four seasons playing at Marquette.

You won’t find Oakland in the field of 68 in the March Madness predictions but Cain, who played two minutes in Marquette’s loss to Murray State in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament, would love to experience some March Madness with the Golden Grizzlies.

Oakland, which is one game out of first place, has covered against the Las Vegas odds in just one of its last eight games.

Wright State at Oakland Head-to-Head

Wright State has won nine of the last 10 games against Oakland, although the Golden Grizzlies won the most recent game played at Oakland.

When the teams met at Wright State on Feb. 5, the home team won by 11 points as a two-point favorite.

Eight of the last eight games between the teams was decided by at least 10 points.

Each of the last three games went under the total.

Wright State at Oakland Prediction

Oakland and Wright State rank second and third in the Horizon League in scoring offense and are both in the top three in 3-point percentage defense, so it will be interesting to see how this game plays out.

It will be hard to pick against Oakland considering its impressive play at home. With a reasonable total of 146, it won’t be surprising to see this game go over the total even if the games in this series tend to go under.

Pick: Over 146

Pick: Oakland Golden Grizzlies -4

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