The Saint Louis Billikens take on the Wichita State Shockers in Kansas City, MO, as part of the Hall of Fame Classic. Tip-off is set for 10:30 p.m. ET on Peacock.
Wichita State is favored by 3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -165. The total is set at 155 points.
Here’s my Saint Louis vs. Wichita State predictions and college basketball picks for November 22, 2024.
Saint Louis vs Wichita State Prediction
My Pick: Saint Louis +2.5
My Saint Louis vs Wichita State best bet is on the Billikens spread, with the best odds currently available at BetMGM. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Saint Louis vs Wichita State Odds, Lines, Pick
| Saint Louis Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -110 | 155 -110 / -110 | +140 |
| Wichita State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -110 | 155 -110 / -110 | -165 |
- Saint Louis vs Wichita State spread: Wichita State -3.5
- Saint Louis vs Wichita State over/under: 155 points
- Saint Louis vs Wichita State moneyline: Wichita State -165, Saint Louis +140
- Saint Louis vs Wichita State best bet: Saint Louis +2.5
My Saint Louis vs Wichita State College Basketball Betting Preview
Saint Louis' Robbie Avila (ankle) is out for today's game, per Jon Rothstein.
Unfortunately, Saint Louis is without its star, Robbie Avila. The Preseason Atlantic 10 Player of the Year suffered an ankle injury in the season-opening loss to Santa Clara.
So, how does Saint Louis survive without Avila?
It starts with a pair of veterans, Gibson Jimerson and Isaiah Swope. Jimerson probably benefitted the most from the Billikens' coaching change, as Josh Schertz has a history of getting huge production from shooters, like Ryan Conwell and others during his time at Indiana State.
Jimerson has scored 20+ points in all three games and is shooting 57% from 3.
Meanwhile, Swope is picking up more of a playmaking role with Avila on the shelf. He's a dominant scorer with a silky step-back jumper, but he needs to help initiate the offense.
Swope needs to score more efficiently, too, as he's shooting just 36% from the field and 32% from 3. He's much better than those numbers, so we will see if the good version of Swope emerges.
The Billikens have to alter their offense a bit without Avila running the show. He might be SLU's tallest starter, but the offense runs through him with his elite passing prowess.
Schertz featured Kalu Anya as the decision-maker in the Billikens' win over Loyola Marymount. The Brown transfer tossed five assists, and him being on the floor will help improve the Billikens' defense (since Avila is poor defensively).
Perhaps the most underrated storyline through three games is the improvement of Kellan Thames, one of the few holdovers from the Travis Ford era. The physically imposing 6-foot-6 wing has benefitted from the floor spacing in Schertz's offense, as he's averaging 14 points and seven rebounds per game in a small-ball four role.
He's an elite cutter and finisher, so the spacing created by the shooters opens up lanes for Thames to operate.
One of the best things about Schertz-coached teams is how good everyone is at passing. The elite passing hasn't translated yet, as Saint Louis turns the ball over 20.3% of the time.
Once the sloppy passing subsides, the Billikens' offense could become elite.
Wichita State Basketball
Paul Mills is quickly shifting the culture at Wichita State in his second season. The Shockers are off to a 4-0 start, including a tough road win over Western Kentucky on opening night.
And I'm sure Wichita State fans will gladly take a 4-0 start heading into the Feast Week festivities.
The Shockers haven't played the toughest competition. But don't get it twisted — Wichita isn't facing a bunch of cupcakes. The Shockers earned a narrow win over WKU (the preseason favorite in C-USA) and handed Montana State (which nearly beat Northwestern) and Northern Iowa losses.
Yes, Coach Mills led Oral Roberts to a Cinderella run and another NCAA Tournament appearance with elite perimeter shooting, but that's not Wichita State's strength. The Shockers attempt 3s just 28% of the time, one of the lowest marks in college basketball.
The only player in the Shockers' starting lineup who has shot better than 33% from 3 at any point in their career is Justin Hill, who leads Wichita State with 17.5 points and 5.5 assists per game. He's a dominant player for Mills and a monster in the heavy-ball screen offense, but the lack of shooters limits who Hill can dish to.
There's good and bad news for Wichita State from an injury standpoint. 7-footer Quincy Ballard is returning, but fellow forward Ronnie DeGray III is out for at least the next month.
Having Ballard back should help add size to overwhelm a more undersized Saint Louis frontline. The rotation of Ballard and 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward Matej Bosnjak is a huge advantage in the Shockers' corner.
The Shockers' defense is nothing to write home about, though. Three of their four opponents cracked more than 1.00 PPP, but none had more than 1.06 PPP.
If they hold Saint Louis to fewer than 1.10 PPP, that's an absolute win compared to what that offense is capable of.
Saint Louis vs Wichita State Betting Analysis
I have a simple question: What's worth more points — 2s or 3s? Well, Saint Louis attempts 3s on more than half of its field goal attempts, and I touched on the Shockers' unwillingness to pull from downtown.
I'd imagine Wichita State is able to get some dribble drives and score inside, but Saint Louis can hit fewer shots and still win. Plus, its shooting allows it to stay in a great spot.
I'll call Anya the deciding factor on if the Billikens can make my prediction a winner. He can take advantage of the slow, plodding bigs — Ballard and Bosnjak — with some perimeter jumpers, but he hasn't made a shot from 3 this year.
The Billikens' shooting is an advantage that might be too much for the Shockers to overcome.
