Check out our free Middle Tennessee vs UAB pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Birmingham. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
Middle Tennessee vs UAB Pick & Preview: Saturday, February 11th Betting Odds
Blue Raiders vs Blazers Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at UAB Blazers
- Where: Birmingham at Bartow Arena
- Date: Saturday, February 11th
- Betting Odds: Middle Tennessee +8, MTNST +286 | UAB -373 O/U 148.5
Blue Raiders Preview:
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders head into today’s game in what will be their 26th game of the season, posting a record of 15-10. So far, the Blue Raiders have played 11 games on the road, with a record of 3-8. For the season, Middle Tennessee has been the underdog in 10 games, sitting with a mark of 4-6. Currently, the oddsmakers have the lines set with the Blue Raiders being +8 point underdogs.
Middle Tennessee will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Eli Lawrence who is averaging 12.48 points per game for the Blue Raiders. Lawrence is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Also key to the Blue Raiders’ offensive game plan is the play of DeAndre Dishman who has hit 54.8% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 11.28 points per game.
On offense, Middle Tennessee is scoring a rate similar to the NCAA average at 74.4 points per game. This figure has come despite struggling to knock down shots from outside. Through 25 games, they have only hit 32.8% of their 3-point field goal attempts. For the season, 43.09% of their shots have come from beyond the arc.
Blazers Preview:
Through 25 games, the UAB Blazers have an overall record of 17-8. Currently, the Blazers have been the home team 15 times, sitting with a record of 13-2. The Blazers’ are sitting with a betting line that is -8 points in their favor. For the season, UAB has been favored to win in 20 games, sitting with a mark of 15-5.
UAB will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Jordan Walker who is averaging 22.37 points per game for the Blazers. Walker is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Also key to the Blazers’ offensive game plan is the play of Eric Gaines who has hit 39.7% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 12.72 points per game.
Through 25 games, UAB has been playing well on offense, averaging 80.7 points per game. Even though the team has been methodical with their pace, the Blazers’ shooters have been hot from outside, hitting 37.9% of their shots per game. This strong shooting percentage has equated to an average of 7.97 made 3’s per contest.
Free Spread Prediction: UAB Blazers -8
In this matchup between the UAB Blazers and Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders, we believe that Middle Tennessee has a good chance of keeping the game closer than the odds suggest. The Blue Raiders have historically performed well as the underdog, going 3-2 against the spread in their last 5 games. Additionally, the two teams have different styles of play, with UAB focusing on a faster pace and Middle Tennessee preferring a slower game. We think this will work in the Blue Raiders’s favor, as there will be fewer possessions for UAB to take the lead. Based on these factors, we recommend betting on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders to cover as the +8 point underdogs.
