The shorthanded Memphis Tigers will look to bounce back on Saturday following a surprising loss to Tulane earlier in the week. A road game against the Wichita State Shockers is next on the schedule, who have put together an impressive campaign in the early going.
Continue reading for our free college basketball picks and predictions for Memphis vs. Wichita State on Saturday, January 1st.
Memphis vs Wichita State odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
The spread opened at BetOnline with Wichita State as one-point underdogs but has since moved as high as -2.5 and settled in at -1.5 at the time of this writing.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until tip-off and be sure to check out the full college basketball odds before placing your bets.
Memphis vs Wichita State predictions
- Prediction: Wichita State -1.5 (-108)
- Prediction: Under 142 (-105)
- Best bet: Wichita State -1.5 (-108)
Predictions made on 12/31/2022 at 7:15 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Memphis vs Wichita State game info
• Location: Charles Kock Arena, Wichita, KS
• Date: Saturday, January 1, 2022
• Tip-off: 12:00 p.m. ET
• TV: CBS
Memphis at Wichita State betting preview
Injuries
Memphis: DeAndre Williams F (Questionable), Emoni Bates F (Questionable), Jalen Duren C (Questionable), Chandler Lawson (Out).
Wichita State: Craig Porter Jr. G (Questionable), Joe Pleasant F (Questionable).
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting trend to know
Memphis has covered just once in their last six games, which includes five outright losses as favorites (and three times as double-digit favorites). Find more NCAA betting trends for Memphis vs. Wichita State.
Memphis vs Wichita State picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Spread analysis
The key component to this game is Memphis coming in with their three leading scorers questionable to play. The big man trio of Deandre Williams (11.2 PPG), Jalen Duren (10.8 PPG), and Emoni Bates (10.8 PPG) all missed Wednesday's affair against Tulane, and aren't guaranteed to return on Saturday. That game was straight out of the twilight zone, with Memphis managing to lose the game despite shooting 45% from three, nailing 25 free throws to Tulane's 11, and doubling them up on the glass 40 to 20.
The 70+ minutes the trio collectively averages were spread out across the remaining eight, but end-of-rotation guys like Malcolm Dandridge (who logged his first start of the season), Tyler Harris, Jayden Hardaway, and Josh Minott all saw their minutes nearly double as their usage skyrocketed. The four combined to put up 30 shot attempts, which far outpaced their collective average of 13.6 per game. They did a lot with those attempts, shooting 47% from the field, including going 6 for 10 from beyond the arc.
But Saturday's affair with Wichita State won't provide similar offensive ease for the Tigers. The Shockers rank 64th in KenPom efficiency rating, including a defense that ranks 34th in the nation. Memphis' results against similarly defensive-proficient teams have been a mixed bag. They averaged just 63.7 points against the likes of Virginia Tech (25th), Iowa State (7th), and Ole Miss (54th) but also put up 92 points against Alabama (42nd) in their most impressive win to date.
But the statuses of Williams, Duren, and Bates make it difficult to use those games as precedent for this one. What does cap their potential impact, however, is that it'd be any of the three's first time on the court since December 14th following two cancellations prior to the Tulane game.
Prediction: Wichita State -1.5 (-108)
Over/Under analysis
On top of the question of where scoring would potentially come from on a short-handed Memphis team against a respectable Wichita State defense, there is also the element of Wichita State's offense being outright atrocious at times. Their 41.1% field goal percentage ranks 304th in the nation, lending its hand to their measly 69.0 points per game, which ranks 255th.
It should come as no surprise that the Shockers have gone 12-4 to the Under as a result. Top that off with the fact that Wichita State hasn't played in 10 days, and the somewhat high total of 142 given the context becomes a head-scratcher.
Prediction: Under 142 (-105)
Best bet
The spread is truly strange within a larger context. Wichita State being barely favored at -1.5 implies that Memphis would be favored on a neutral court for this exact game. This is despite Memphis's top three scorers being questionable to play after having not played since December 14th, struggling often against similarly strong defenses, and losing five of its last six despite being favored in all five losses.
It's shocking to see this spread where it is.
Pick: Wichita State -1.5 (-108)
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