A five-game home winning streak hangs in the balance for the UT Martin Skyhawks (5-8, 0-2 OVC) when they square off against the Murray State Racers (11-2, 2-0 OVC) at Skyhawk Arena. Action begins at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 10, 2019.
Murray State Racers at UT Martin Skyhawks Betting Odds
Both teams blew out their last opponent. The Skyhawks defeated the Cumberland University Phoenix 91-58, while the Racers beat the Wright State Raiders 73-54.
Murray State played a nearly flawless game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 42.9 and an effective field goal percentage of 0.640. Wright State put up marks of 23.7 and 0.409, respectively, for those same stats. Meanwhile, UT Martin played a nearly flawless game. They had an effective field goal percentage of 0.593 and a turnover percentage of 16.2. For those same stats, Cumberland University was 0.379 and 24.8, respectively. Derek Hawthorne, Jr. played well for UT Martin with 14 points, six rebounds and five assists. Murray State rallied around Ja Morant, who contributed 26 points, 11 assists and five rebounds.
The Racers dominated this series last year, emerging victorious in both contests. In the last contest, Murray State won 66-53. Murray State’s 0.273 free throw rate was their biggest strength over UT Martin, who had a mark of 0.113. This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams.
Morant has been playing at a high level recently for Murray State, averaging 0 points over the last five games.
UT Martin might have a tough time scoring as they battle against one of the nation’s best defenses. Murray State ranks 24th in defensive efficiency while the Skyhawks rank 211th in offensive efficiency. Additionally, the Racers rank 54th in offensive rebounding percentage (33.5 percent), while the Skyhawks rank 321st in defensive rebounding percentage (67.1 percent).
Murray State Racers vs. UT Martin Skyhawks Odds Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – UT Martin, ATS Winner – Murray State, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- Murray State ranks seventh in assists per game (19.1) while UT Martin ranks 225th in assists allowed per game (16.5).
- The Racers rank eighth in blocks per game (5.7) while the Skyhawks rank 119th (2.9).
- Murray State ranks 23rd in steals per game (8.6) while UT Martin ranks 99th in steals allowed per game (6.5).
- The Racers average 38.2 rebounds per game, which ranks 74th in the nation. The Skyhawks rank 239th in rebounds allowed per game (39.1).
- Murray State ranks 47th in three pointers allowed per game (19.9) while UT Martin ranks 207th (25.2).
Bettings Trends:
- The Racers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 22.0, up from 18.1 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Skyhawks have scored an average of 80.2 points per game (2.6 above their season average) and allowed an average of 76.2 points per game (4.7 below their season average).
