Basketball Plays of the Day for January 20: Free NCAAB Picks (Archive)
The Grand Canyon Antelopes have started league play, 4-0. Will Grand Canyon get win number five, on the road, against Stephen F. Austin? Read on to analyze the NCAAB odds so that you can cash out at the top-rated books! Let’s dig in.
Grand Canyon Antelopes vs. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
Thursday, January 20, 2022 – 7:30 PM EST at William R. Johnson Coliseum
The Grand Canyon Antelopes will take on the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks in a WAC matchup. Grand Canyon is currently 14-2 on the season with losses to just Wyoming and Arizona State on the year.
Grand Canyon even has a win over San Francisco this season and has shown off some terrific defense all season long. In that game against San Francisco, Grand Canyon won, 49-48. After that win, they've won four more straight and haven't allowed more than 70 points in any of those wins.
The Antelopes are holding teams to an effective field goal percentage of 43 percent, which is currently 8th in all of college basketball. Teams are shooting just 24.1 percent from three against Grand Canyon on the season, and that's the best defensive rate in college basketball from long distance.
Grand Canyon has also held opponents to 46.2 percent from inside the arc and has a huge height advantage that should lead to many rebounds in this game.
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The Lumberjacks are shooting average from the field, hitting 33.3 percent and 50.6 percent from inside the arc. However, Stephen F. Austin will turn the ball over 22.7 percent of the time this season. Already, it's going to be hard for the Lumberjacks to get quality looks. When you add the turnovers, the offense for SFA could really struggle in this game.
On the offensive end, Grand Canyon is elite on the glass. The Antelopes are earning 39.5 percent offensive rebounds and continue to dominate from beyond the arc, hitting 37.4 percent from three. Not only are the Lumberjacks terrible at defensive rebounding, but they've also been an average group defensively, to begin with.
SFA is allowing 32.4 percent offensive rebounds this season while sending teams to the line at an extremely high rate. Plus, teams are hitting 52 percent from inside. SFA has held opponents to 30.9 percent from deep this season, but it won't be easy against a Grand Canyon offense that is hitting 37.4 percent from three.
The Antelopes struggle from the foul line, hitting just 61.8 percent of foul shots. But the Lumberjacks also have a poor free throw percentage of 67.2 percent. SFA will foul much more than Grand Canyon and with the volume that Grand Canyon will see at the line, foul shooting will be fine and play a significant part of this game for the Antelopes.
Prediction
In league play, Grand Canyon is 4-0 and has one each game by at least 14 points. The Antelopes are the team to beat in the WAC and have all the pieces to put Stephen F. Austin away early.
Stephen F. Austin is a known college and brand. However, they're currently in a rebuilding process and don't have nearly as much experience as we're used to with this team.
Grand Canyon is deeper, shoots at a higher rate, will rebound extremely well, and can defend at a very high rate. So at -130, I'm grabbing Grand Canyon on the moneyline for my college basketball picks, even on the road. I figured Grand Canyon would be at least -200 at the opening. And if Grand Canyon was home, they'd be, in my eyes, a -250 favorite.
NCAAB Pick: Grand Canyon ML (-125) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.