Western Kentucky (14-6) vs Middle Tennessee (8-13)
February 3, 2024 at 08:00 PM EST
The Line: Betting Odds: Western Kentucky -6.5 — Over/Under: 144.5
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers meet in college basketball action from the E.A. Diddle Arena on Saturday. Can Middle Tennessee keep the win streak alive? Or will Western Kentucky defend home court? Let’s dive in and find out with our Middle Tennessee vs. Western Kentucky Prediction.
Middle Tennessee Team Preview
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders come into this one looking to build on back-to-back wins after a 79-61 win over FIU last time out. Jestin Porter leads the Blue Raiders in scoring with 13 PPG while Elias King has 13 PPG and 4.6 RPG as the only other double-digit scorer for Middle Tennessee up to this point in the year. Jared Coleman-Jones has 9.6 PPG with a team-high 7.1 RPG to lead Middle Tennessee on the glass this season. As a team, Middle Tennessee is averaging 63.8 PPG on 40.9% shooting from the field, 28.6% from three and 67.4% from the foul line this season.
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Western Kentucky Team Preview
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers come into this one looking to rebound from a 79-77 loss to Sam Houston last time out. Don McHenry leads the Hilltoppers in scoring and assists with 15.1 PPG and 2.9 APG along with 3.5 RPG while Brandon Newman has 10.6 PPG and a team-high 6.2 RPG to lead the Hilltoppers in rebounding and Khristian Lander has 10.1 PPG with 2.6 APG to cap off the trio of double-digit scorers for Western Kentucky so far this season. Tyrone Marshall Jr. and Rodney Howard each have 9+ PPG and 4.5+ RPG as well on the year. As a team, Western Kentucky is averaging 80.4 PPG on 46.7% shooting from the field, 33.7% from three and 68.5% from the foul line this season.
Middle Tennessee vs. Western Kentucky Prediction
I’m on Western Kentucky here. The reality is that while Middle Tennessee’s won two games in a row, the fact remains that WKU is the far more trustworthy team and Middle Tennessee’s offense has been in a rut for a long, long time. I don’t see that changing here out of the blue and I think Western Kentucky bags themselves a win and cover when all is said and done here.