Check out our free UTSA vs Middle Tennessee pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Murfreesboro. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
UTSA vs Middle Tennessee Pick & Preview: Saturday, February 4th Betting Odds
Roadrunners vs Blue Raiders Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: UTSA Roadrunners at Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
- Where: Murfreesboro at Murphy Athletic Center
- Date: Saturday, February 4th
- Betting Odds: UTSA +14, UTSA +716 | MTNST -1222 O/U 141.5
Roadrunners Preview:
The UTSA Roadrunners head into today’s game in what will be their 25th game of the season, posting a record of 7-17. So far, the Roadrunners have played 9 games on the road, with a record of 0-9. For the season, UTSA has been the underdog in 17 games, sitting with a mark of 2-15. Currently, the oddsmakers have the lines set with the Roadrunners being +14 point underdogs.
Jacob Germany comes into today’s game as the Roadrunners’ leading scorer at 12.36 points per contest. Not only has Germany been key to the team’s scoring efforts, but he is UTSA’s top rebounder at 8.14 boards per contest. Behind Germany, the team has benefited from the strong play of Japhet Medor, who is second on the team in scoring at 12.76 points per game. Overall, he has hit 40.7% of his shots and is adding 3.48 boards per game.
Offensive production has been hard to come by for UTSA this season, as they are currently ranked 319th in college basketball at 67.3 points per game. A major reason for low scoring totals is the fact that they have played at a below average pace, and have struggled to knock down outside shots. As a team, the Roadrunners’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 29.4%, placing them 487th in the NCAA.
Blue Raiders Preview:
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders head into today’s game in what will be their 24th game of the season, posting a record of 14-9. Currently, the Blue Raiders have been the home team 13 times, sitting with a record of 11-2. The Blue Raiders’ are sitting with a betting line that is -14 points in their favor. For the season, Middle Tennessee has been favored to win in 12 games, sitting with a mark of 8-4.
Middle Tennessee will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Eli Lawrence who is averaging 12.3 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 54.0% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 11.48 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 23 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.
Free Spread Prediction: UTSA Roadrunners +14
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders will begin their matchup against UTSA Roadrunners as the strong favorites to win with a point spread of -14. Our analysis favors Middle Tennessee’s chances to pull home with an easy win and cover the spread. When considering how each team prefers to play, both Middle Tennessee and UTSA are near the NCAA average in possessions per game. We like how this scenario benefits Middle Tennessee, as their superior talent should come through throughout the game in an easy win. Although the Blue Raiders don’t have a great track record vs the spread as the betting favorite, going 2-2-1 (last 5), we like their chances to come home with the ATS win.
