23.01.2023

Oakland @ Detroit Mercy Game Preview and Pick

The Oakland Golden Grizzlies have won six of their last seven games and will head to Detroit Mercy tonight to take on one of the nation's best scorers in, Antoine Davis. We’ll preview the Horizon League match-up before going over my best bet for the game.

Game Preview

The Titans of Detroit Mercy have won two straight games heading into tonight, but they still find themselves in 7th place in the Horizon League with a 4-5 conference record. This team could be considered the textbook definition of one-dimensional, as they possess one of the best offenses in college basketball while simultaneously having one of the worst statistical defenses in the country.

Entering tonight, the Titans have a 111.5 offensive efficiency rating on KenPom, is ranked 51st in the country. Most of their success can be attributed to Antoine Davis, who is now in second place on the NCAA’s all-time scoring list. Davis averages 27 points per game and will come into tonight off back-to-back 40+ point performances.

Defense has been another story, though, as Detroit Mercy is ranked 330th in the country in points allowed per game and 348th in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. Their opponent tonight has put up relatively similar numbers on both ends of the floor, as the Golden Grizzlies are averaging 71.8 points per game this season.

Four of the five starters in Oakland’s line-up are averaging in double figures this season, and Trey Townsend and Jalen Moore are averaging 17.1 and 15.4 PPG, respectively. The Golden Grizzlies don’t rank at the top of college basketball in pace, but they do rank in the 60s in both field goal attempts and three-point attempts per game, so they get their money’s worth on a nightly basis on that end of the floor.

The Golden Grizzlies' defensive efficiency rating of 111.7 on KenPom, ranks 321st in the country, and in their most recent win, they allowed 77 points to an IUPUI team that has the seventh-worst offensive efficiency rating in the country.

Pick for the Game

The point total for this game is currently set at 152.5, and I’ll be taking the over as my best bet. Neither team has shown any ability to play consistently on the defensive end of the floor, and both sides possess scorers that will be able to take advantage of weak defensive units.

Detroit Mercy is shooting 39.1% from three this season which is the 10th-best percentage in the country, and they will now face an Oakland team that has struggled to limit their opponents from deep as they rank 326th in the country in opponent three-point percentage. With the Titans averaging the 16th most three-point attempts per game this season, they should be able to find success on the offensive end for the entirety of the game.

On the defensive end, the Titans allow an average of 60.6 field goal attempts per game, which plays into the offensive style of Oakland and their impressive starting line-up. Leading scorer Trey Townsend is shooting 49% from the field over his last ten games. He also leads the team in rebounding, which could lead to many second-chance opportunities for him against a Detroit Mercy team with a defensive rebounding percentage that ranks 305th in the country.