Grand Canyon Antelopes vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Western Kentucky vs Grand Canyon NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Phoenix.

Western Kentucky vs Grand Canyon Prediction

Betting on today's Hilltoppers and Antelopes game? Catch the action at GCU Arena in Phoenix, AZ, as the Antelopes hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on ESPN+. The odds for this non-conference game currently have Grand Canyon as the -12.5 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 160.5 points.

Western Kentucky vs. Grand Canyon Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Grand Canyon Antelopes
Where: Phoenix at GCU Arena
Date: Saturday, November 9th
Betting Odds GCAN -12.5, WKENT +537 | GCAN -790 O/U 160.5

Hilltoppers Preview: Will Western Kentucky Pull Through as the Underdog Road Team?

Western Kentucky dropped their season opener at home to Wichita State on Monday, losing 91-84. The Hilltoppers entered the game as slight favorites (-1) but failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 175, surpassing the pre-game O/U line of 153.

WKU trailed 43-38 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap in the 2nd half, where they scored 46 points but allowed 48.

Hilltoppers Offense Breakdown

Western Kentucky's offense put up 84 points in their last game, shooting 39.7% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 44.1%. They struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 6 of 26 threes for 23.1%, while connecting on 50% of their two-point attempts. At the free-throw line, the Hilltoppers made 24 of 34 attempts, good for 70.6%.

Justin Hill led the way with 31 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists, shooting 64.3% from the field and 57.1% from three. Babacar Faye added 28 points and 8 rebounds, shooting 56.2%. Don McHenry contributed 21 points, hitting 3 of 10 threes, while Xavier Bell knocked down 3 of 7 from deep, finishing with 17 points.

Hilltoppers Team Defense

Western Kentucky's defense gave up 91 points in their last game, despite holding their opponent to 39% shooting from the field. The Hilltoppers allowed 21 made two-point shots on 43 attempts, a 48% success rate.

From beyond the arc, Western Kentucky's defense limited their opponent to 6 made threes on 25 attempts, a 24% shooting performance. However, they sent the other team to the free-throw line 34 times, where they converted 24 free throws at a 70% rate. The Hilltoppers also gave up 14 offensive rebounds.

Antelopes Preview: Can the Antelopes Pull Out the Win as Home Favorites?

Grand Canyon Antelopes Recent Game/Games

Grand Canyon opened their season with an 89-79 win over Cal State Fullerton on Monday, November 4th. Playing at home, the Antelopes were -18.5 point favorites but didn’t cover the spread.

After leading 47-45 at halftime, Grand Canyon tightened up defensively, allowing just 34 points in the 2nd half while scoring 42. The game’s total points of 168 went over the pre-game O/U line of 140.

Antelopes Offense Breakdown

JaKobe Coles led the way for the Antelopes with 26 points and 13 rebounds, shooting 66.7% from the field in their last game. Ray Harrison added 21 points, though he struggled from deep, hitting just 20% of his threes.

Kaleb Brown was efficient, scoring 17 points on 6-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Donovan Oday contributed 12 points, despite hitting only 33.3% of his shots.

Antelopes Team Defense

Grand Canyon's defense gave up 79 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 47% from the field, hitting 28 of 59 shots. Inside the arc, they were particularly effective, connecting on 64% of their two-point attempts (18/28).

From three-point range, Grand Canyon allowed 10 threes on 31 attempts, a 32% shooting performance. The opposing team also went to the free-throw line 32 times, making 23 for 71%. Grand Canyon gave up 16 offensive rebounds.

Hilltoppers vs Antelopes Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last five road contests, the Hilltoppers offense has averaged 74 points per game while allowing an average of 77. Western Kentucky posted an overall record of 1-4 while going 2-3 ATS.
In their last ten games at home, the Antelopes have a straight up record of 6-4 while going 5-5 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 71 points per game in these contests.
In their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Hilltoppers have a straight up record of 5-5 and an ATS mark of 7-3.
As the betting favorite, the Antelopes have an ATS record of 4-1 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 5-0.