Middle Tennessee vs Tennessee-Martin 12/1/21 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds

The UT Martin Skyhawks will travel to the Murphy Center to take on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders this Wednesday nigh in College Basketball action.

The UT Martin Skyhawks had their 2-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 3-4 on the season after being defeated by the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, 81-66, this past Saturday. UT Martin led by a 38-34 margin at halftime, however, the defense struggled in the 2^nd half and could not fight back after Western Kentucky took a 71-61 lead with 3:01 left in regulation. UT Martin shot 39.4% from the field & 40.6% from beyond the arc while allowing Western Kentucky to shoot 39.4% from the field & 40.6% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Skyhawks was David Didenko who had 15 points, 5 rebounds, & 4 assists.

On the season, UT Martin is averaging 76.6 ppg on 46.2% shooting from the field. The Skyhawks are averaging 9.1 three-pointers per game on 34.4% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, UT Martin has been led by KJ Simon (16.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, 1.3 spg, 1.3 bpg), KK Curry (14.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.1 bpg), Darius Simmons (11.1 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 2.1 apg), & David Didenko (8.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.5 apg).

Defensively, UT Martin is allowing their opponents to an average of 72.4 ppg on 40.6% shooting from the field. The Skyhawks have a rebound margin of 2.7 and a turnover margin of -0.6.

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders won their 3^rd straight game and improved to 6-1 on the season after defeating the Bryan College Lions, 96-48, this past Saturday. Middle Tennessee dominated Bryan College on both ends of the court and had no trouble securing the victory after going into halftime with a 42-16 margin. Middle Tennessee shot 51.4% from the field & 31.3% from beyond the arc while holding Bryan College to shoot just 35.8% from the field & 14.3% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Blue Raiders was Isaiah Turner who had 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, & 2 steals in 19 minutes from off the bench.

On the season, Middle Tennessee is averaging 79.6 ppg on 47.5% shooting from the field. The Blue Raiders are averaging 7.7 three-pointers per game on 29.2% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Middle Tennessee has been led by Eli Lawrence (11.4 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.7 spg), Josh Jefferson (11.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.7 spg), Donovan Sims (9.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 2.4 apg, 1.3 spg).

Defensively, Middle Tennessee is holding their opponents to an average of 60.3 ppg on 41.2% shooting from the field. The Blue Raiders have a rebound margin of 4.1 and a turnover margin of 6.3.

The Skyhawks are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 road games & 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall. The Blue Raiders are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 Wednesday games & 3-9 ATS in their last 12 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.

UT Martin comes into this game with a 3-4 record, however, two of those wins have come against non-D-1 opponents (Miami-Hamilton & Carver) and it’s a bit concerning that the Skyhawks defense comes into this game ranked just t-248^th in scoring defense. Middle Tennessee has been solid on both ends of the court this season, ranking 60^th in scoring offense & t-49^th in scoring defense and as after seeing the Blue Raiders defeat Mercer by a 24-pooint margin in the Cancun Challenge, I think Middle Tennessee will be able to do plenty at home to cover this double-digit spread. Good Luck!