It will be a contest between two phenomenal offenses when the Murray State Racers (10-2, 1-0 OVC) meet the Eastern Kentucky Colonels (7-7, 0-1 OVC) at CFSB Center. Action begins at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 5, 2019.
Eastern Kentucky Colonels vs. Murray State Racers Betting Odds
In their last contest, the Racers easily got past the Wright State Raiders, 73-54, while the Colonels were blown out by the Marshall Thundering Herd, 105-77.
Murray State dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had an offensive rebounding percentage of 42.9 and an effective field goal percentage of 0.640. Wright State was 23.7 and 0.409, respectively, for those same stats. Eastern Kentucky, on the other hand, had a better offensive rebounding percentage (38.3 vs. 38.1). Murray State rallied around Ja Morant, who contributed 26 points, 11 assists and five rebounds. Nick Mayo, meanwhile fueled Eastern Kentucky with 26 points and 15 rebounds.
The Racers won the only contest between these two teams last season, 88-73. Murray State had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (32.0 vs. 17.6). Eastern Kentucky, meanwhile, had a much better turnover percentage (10.6 vs. 17.5). This will be the first matchup of the year between these two teams.
The Colonels’ Mayo has been playing at a high level over his last five games, averaging 0 points per game. Meanwhile, Morant has averaged 0 points during that same time frame for the Racers.
When considering effective field goal percentage, Murray State figures to have a considerable edge. The elite Racers offense ranks 27th in the country in that metric at 0.564, while the porous Eastern Kentucky defense is ranked 285th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.529).
Eastern Kentucky Colonels at Murray State Racers Betting Pick
College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Murray State, ATS Winner – Eastern Kentucky, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- Murray State averages 19.0 assists per game, which ranks seventh in the country. Eastern Kentucky ranks 201st in assists allowed per game (15.4).
- The Racers average 5.6 blocks per game, which ranks 14th in the NCAA. The Colonels rank 94th in blocks allowed per game (3.6).
- Eastern Kentucky ranks third in steals per game (11.2) while Murray State ranks 68th in steals allowed per game (5.8).
- The Racers rank 79th in rebounds per game (37.9) while the Colonels rank 259th in rebounds allowed per game (41.5).
- Eastern Kentucky ranks seventh in three pointers attempted per game (29.4) while Murray State ranks 128th (22.9).
Bettings Trends:
- The Racers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 22.0, up from 18.6 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Colonels have scored an average of 83.6 points per game (1.5 below their season average) and allowed an average of 84.0 points per game (1.1 above their season average).
