The Murray State Racers (13-2, 4-0 OVC) put their five-game winning streak on the line when they square off with the Eastern Illinois Panthers (10-7, 3-1 OVC) at Lantz Arena. The game starts at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 17, 2019.
Murray State Racers vs. Eastern Illinois Panthers Betting Prediction
In the Racers’ last contest, they blew out the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks, 85-67. The Racers, who came into the game averaging an offensive rebounding percentage of 33.3, had a fantastic mark of 43.8 and had a turnover percentage of 9.1 (better than their season average of 15.9). Murray State rallied around Ja Morant, who was the top scorer from either team with 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting.
The Panthers beat the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles in their last outing, 67-60. The Panthers, who came into the game averaging an offensive rebounding percentage of 27.4, had an extraordinary mark of 38.1, while the Golden Eagles had a turnover percentage of 25.3 (above their season average of 19.3). With 14 points and five rebounds, Eastern Illinois’ Mack Smith had a good game.
After the Racers won both games against the Panthers last season, these teams will battle for the first time this year. In the last contest, Murray State won 76-66. The Racers knocked down 13 of their 18 free throws (72.2 percent) and had a better effective field goal percentage (0.543 vs. 0.467).
Eastern Illinois might struggle to find the bottom of the net as they square off against one of the NCAA’s best defenses. Murray State currently ranks 33rd in defensive efficiency while the Panthers rank 234th in offensive efficiency.
Murray State vs. Eastern Illinois Betting Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Murray State, ATS Winner – Murray State, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Notes:
Murray State ranks third in assists per game (19.5) while Eastern Illinois ranks 201st in assists allowed per game (15.4).
The Racers average 38.0 rebounds per game, which ranks 73rd in the NCAA. The Panthers rank 214th in rebounds allowed per game (37.7).
Murray State ranks 13th in blocks per game (5.4) while Eastern Illinois ranks 112th (3.1).
The Racers rank 30th in steals per game (8.3) while the Panthers rank 121st in steals allowed per game (6.6).
Murray State averages 23.6 three pointers per game, which ranks 115th in the NCAA. Eastern Illinois ranks 186th in three pointers allowed per game (23.8).
Bettings Trends:
The Racers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 20.0, up from 18.3 for the season.
During their last five games, the Panthers have scored an average of 77.2 points per game (4.6 above their season average) and allowed an average of 73.4 points per game (1.7 below their season average).
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