The No. 5 West Virginia Mountaineers (24-10) meet the No. 12 Murray State Racers (26-5) in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena at Aztec Bowl. The game gets underway at 4 p.m. ET on Friday, March 16, 2018.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 145.5 points with West Virginia opening as a 10.5-point favorite.
Murray State Racers vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Betting Prediction
The Racers will be looking for similar success after topping the Belmont Bruins in the Ohio Valley Conference Tourney, 68-51. The Racers had a ridiculously low turnover percentage of 7.9 (better than their season average of 15.5) and held the Bruins to an offensive rebounding percentage of 18.9 (below their season average of 25.4). Murray State was led by Jonathan Stark, who was the game’s high scorer with 24 points on 10-for-21 shooting.
In the Big 12 Conference Tourney, the Mountaineers lost to the No. 9 Kansas Jayhawks, 81-70. Kansas couldn’t miss, shooting 56.4 percent from the field. West Virginia, on the other hand, had a field goal percentage of 40.0. West Virginia’s Jevon Carter had 17 points and nine assists in the game.
The game should be a matchup of strength against strength as the prolific offense of West Virginia (34th in the NCAA with an offensive efficiency of 113.6) takes on the top-notch defense of Murray State (21st in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 96.8). Also, the Racers are among the NCAA’s elite at getting to the line, ranking 56th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.277). The Mountaineers, meanhwile, rank 339th in opponents’ FTA rate (0.311).
Murray State comes into the contest with records of 26-5 straight up (SU) and 17-11 against the spread (ATS). Racers games have no tendency in regards to the O/U total, as there has been an even split between games finishing over and under.
Meanwhile, West Virginia owns records of 24-10 SU and 15-15 ATS. Games including the Mountaineers also have no tendency in regards to the total, as there has been an even split between games finishing over and under.
Murray State Racers vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Betting Pick
Basketball Pick: SU Winner – West Virginia, ATS Winner – Murray State, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
West Virginia ranks 14th in blocks per game (5.3) while Murray State ranks 145th (3.2).
The Racers rank 22nd in rebounds allowed per game (31.4) while the Mountaineers rank 141st (34.5).
Murray State ranks seventh in assists allowed per game (9.8) while West Virginia ranks 75th (12.2).
The Mountaineers rank 14th in steals per game (8.0) while the Racers rank 79th (6.8).
West Virginia averages 24.9 three pointers per game, which ranks 55th in the nation. Murray State ranks 96th in three pointers allowed per game (20.6).
Bettings Trends:
The Racers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 10.6, down from 13.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Mountaineers have scored an average of 75.4 points per game (4.2 below their season average) and allowed an average of 74.0 points per game (5.0 above their season average).
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