A premier American Athletic conference showdown is on tap for this Thursday evening as the Memphis Tigers take on the Wichita State Shockers. Join us for our Our college basketball odds series where our Memphis-Wichita State prediction and pick will be revealed.

Entering play with a 20-7 overall record and all eyes fixated upon a possible NCAA Tournament berth, the Tigers are fresh off of a 72-64 loss to the number-one team in the country in the Houston Cougars. Although they gave a commendable effort serving as the road team in that one, Memphis would certainly like to return to the win column with another intriguing test against the Shockers.

As for Wichita State, the Shockers are enduring a rare, let down of a season with an overall record sitting at 14-12 as they are most likely going to have to capture the AAC crown come conference tournament time in a couple of weeks in order to go dancing on college basketball's biggest stage. Nevertheless, the Shockers have won back-to-back games and appear to be trending in the right direction.

Here are the Memphis-Wichita State college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Basketball Odds: Memphis-Wichita State Odds

Memphis: -2.5 (-102)

Wichita State: +2.5 (-120)

Over: 147.5 (-110)

Under: 147.5 (-110)

How To Watch Memphis vs. Wichita State

TV: ESPN2

Stream: WatchESPN

Time: 7:00 ET/4:00 PT

*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Memphis Could Cover The Spread

First things first, it will prove to be important for the Tigers to catch the Shockers by surprise with their active hands-on defense. On paper, Memphis isn't necessarily that special defensively as they surrender 73 points per game, but they are known for generating turnovers at the most opportunistic time which leads to many chances to score with the ball in their possession.

Fortunately, Wichita State is one of those rare teams from throughout the country that possesses a losing record within the confines of their home arena. Alas, if Memphis can take the crowd out of it early by storming out of the gates with their hair on fire and by converting Shockers giveaways to points in transition, then the Tigers could end up being in fairly decent shape.

Most importantly, if there is one area of play that Memphis should be able to take advantage of on Thursday, it will be with their high-flying offensive ability that isn't afraid to share the wealth on that side of the floor. When taking a closer look at Memphis' raw numbers on the season, they are averaging an extremely productive 79.9 PPG and are even dishing out nearly 16 assists per game as well. Be on the lookout for the Tigers to attack the Shockers offensively in a way where Wichita State may not be able to catch their breath, as Memphis boasts a pair of elite scorers in Kendric Davis and DeAndre Williams that will look to light up the scoreboard in a big way.

Why Wichita State Could Cover The Spread

While Wichita State certainly isn't a bad roster by any means, they have still struggled to find a winning consistency all season long. However, over the course of their mini-winning streak that they have been able to pit together as of late, it wouldn't be a surprise if this is a different-looking Shockers bunch compared to when the last time these two squads went to battle resulting in a Wichita State ten-point loss on the road.

In order for the Shockers to make this a game and keep it close in an attempt to cover the spread, then they will need to establish some sort of a rhythm from beyond the arc. So far, Wichita State ranks dead-least in the conference with a 29% shooting clip from downtown but is at least coming off a 14-point win over Temple in which they shot close to 40% from three-point land. Whether it's moving around without the ball to get open looks or implementing a strong pick-and-roll game, it will prove to be vital for the Shockers to catch fire from long distance.

Now with two consecutive games in which he has scored at least 20 points, riding the hot hand with leading scorer Jaykwon Walton could be just what the doctor ordered if Wichita State is going to cover. Averaging 14.4 PPG, the long and lanky 6'7″ junior guard from Georgia uses his length to his advantage and also has the quick-twitch muscles to blow my defenders en route to the rack. Not to mention, but Walton was even able to shoot 71% from three in the win over Temple, so it isn't much that the crafty guard can't do at the moment.

Final Memphis-Wichita State Prediction & Pick

At first glance, Memphis is the better of the two teams, and despite Wichita State possessing a home-court advantage in this contest, it still won't be enough to tame the Tigers.

Final Memphis-Wichita State Prediction & Pick: Memphis -2.5 (-102)