Check out our free Middle Tennessee vs Western Kentucky pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Bowling Green. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.

Middle Tennessee vs Western Kentucky Pick & Preview: Thursday, February 9th Betting Odds

Blue Raiders vs Hilltoppers Matchup at a Glance

  • Sport: NCAAB
  • Teams: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders at Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
  • Where: Bowling Green at E. A. Diddle Arena
  • Date: Thursday, February 9th
  • Betting Odds: Middle Tennessee +1, MTNST -110 | WKENT -112 O/U 142.0

Blue Raiders Preview:

The Middle Tennessee will take the floor in today’s game in the middle of a 2 game win streak and have an overall record of 15-9. So far, the Blue Raiders have played 10 games on the road, with a record of 3-7. For the season, Middle Tennessee has been the underdog in 9 games, sitting with a mark of 4-5. Currently, the oddsmakers have the lines set with the Blue Raiders being +1 point underdogs.

Middle Tennessee will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Eli Lawrence who is averaging 12.12 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 54.7% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 11.29 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 24 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.

Hilltoppers Preview:

Western Kentucky will take the floor against the Blue Raiders with an overall record of 13-11. So far this season, Western Kentucky has played 13 games at home, sitting with a record of 8-5. The Hilltoppers’ are sitting with a betting line that is -1 points in their favor. For the season, Western Kentucky has been favored to win in 15 games, sitting with a mark of 9-6.

Western Kentucky’s leading scorer this season is Dayvion McKnight, who is averaging 16.5 points per contest. So far, McKnight has accounted for 22.56% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 5.08 rebounds per game and 3.88 assists. Jairus Hamilton is the second leading scorer for the Hilltoppers, averaging 10.17 points per game. Between him and Hamilton, they are accounting for 36.5% of the team’s scoring.

Western Kentucky comes into today’s matchup vs Middle Tennessee, looking to continue their strong offensive play, as they are averaging 75.4 points per game. Through 24 games, they have hit 46.7% of their field goal attempts. In terms of pace, the Hilltoppers have preferred to slow the game down, ranking 345th in possessions per game.

Free Spread Prediction: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers -1

If you are eying this matchup between Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and Western Kentucky Hilltoppers as a candidate to place a bet, we have done the work for you and our model recommends taking Western Kentucky to cover the spread as -1 favorites on the road. Although both team’s are going to look to get up shots from outside, we see Western Kentucky shooting well enough to keep the Blue Raiders at bay. Before tip-off, lock in a bet on the Hilltoppers’ to win the game and cover the spread.