The UAB Blazers (10-3) and the Conference USA’s top-ranked offense welcome the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (8-4) and the third-ranked defense in the conference. Action begins at 3:00 pm ET on Sunday, Jan. 3.
The Blazers enter this game hoping for similar success after topping Stephen F. Austin 76-66 in their last matchup. Chris Cokley was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points on 8-for-14 shooting. The Blue Raiders, meanwhile, are coming off an 82-67 win against Trevecca Nazarene in their last game. Reggie Upshaw claimed his fourth double-double of the season with 32 points and 12 rebounds.
Upshaw has upped his play over the last five games for the Blue Raiders, averaging 18.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 0.8 three-pointers.
UAB is a five-point favorite against Middle Tennessee and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at 132 points. The Blazers come into this game 10-3 Straight Up (SU) and 4-4 Against The Spread (ATS). UAB is one of the best passing teams in the nation with an average of 19.2 assists per game. Turning to the defensive side, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Blazers. The 64.5 points that UAB’s defense allows per game makes them the 41st-ranked defense in the country. The Blazers have really locked down opponents on the defensive end, ranking 40th in the country with a .389 opponent field-goal percentage.
As for their opponent, the Blue Raiders have 8-4 SU and 6-4-1 ATS records. The Blue Raiders allow just 67.3 points per road game, ranking them 37th in the nation.
These conference foes meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. UAB won the last game in the matchup, bumping its SU record to 6-3 over Middle Tennessee in their most recent meetings. With a 6-2-1 record, the Blazers also have the advantage ATS. During their latest five matchups, neither team ever held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers.
Predictions: SU Winner – UAB, ATS Winner – UAB, O/U – Over
Notes
UAB is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
UAB is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
UAB is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games when playing Middle Tennessee.
UAB is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Middle Tennessee.
Middle Tennessee scores an average of just 70.8 points per game (ranked 241st). UAB ranks 41st in points allowed, giving up 64.5 points per game.
Middle Tennessee scores just 65.8 points per away game (ranked 247th). UAB ranks 80th in points allowed at home, giving up 62.5 points.
The UAB Blazers have a defensive rating of 94.5 (ranked 48th), while the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders have an offensive rating of 100.9 (ranked 256th).
Middle Tennessee has an average field goal percentage of 44.0%. UAB is an even 2-2 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The UAB Blazers rank higher based on their field goal percentage (30th) than their effective field goal percentage (45th). The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (159th) than their field goal percentage (176th).
The UAB Blazers rank seventh in assists per game with an average of 19.2. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders are among the worst in the country with 12.8 assists per game (ranked 225th).
The UAB Blazers average 6.8 blocks per game, the fourth-ranked team in the country. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders rank a lowly 138th in blocking with just 3.9 per game.
UAB ranks 158th in offensive rebounds, while Middle Tennessee ranks 21st in defensive rebounds.
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders make an average of 6.0 steals per game. When the UAB Blazers give up 6 or more steals, they are an outstanding 7-2.
