Western Kentucky vs Middle Tennessee 1/29/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders will travel to E. A. Diddle Arena to take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers this Saturday afternoon in College Basketball action.

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders won their 4^th straight game and improved to 13-6 on the season after defeating the Marshall Thundering Herd, 81-79, this past Thursday. Middle Tennessee trailed by a 77-72 margin late in the 2^nd half, however, the Blue Raiders were strong offensively down the stretch and was able to pull out the victory after a pair of FT’s by Camryn Weston gave the Blue Raiders the lead for good with just :06 seconds left in regulation. Middle Tennessee shot 49.2% from the field & 35.0% from beyond the arc while allowing Marshall to shoot 46.2% from the field & 45.5% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Blue Raiders was Camryn Weston who had 19 points, 1 rebounds, 3 assists, & 2 steals in 20 minutes from off the bench.

On the season, Middle Tennessee is averaging 73.7 ppg on 44.2% shooting from the field. The Blue Raiders are averaging 7.6 three-pointers per game on 29.3% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Middle Tennessee has been led by Josh Jefferson (12.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.4 spg), Donovan Sims (10.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.5 apg), Eli Lawrence (10.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.3 spg), & Camryn Weston (8.9 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.4 spg).

Defensively, Middle Tennessee is holding their opponents to an average of 65.3 ppg on 41.9% shooting from the field. The Blue Raiders have a rebound margin of 1.4 and a turnover margin of 3.5.

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers lost their 4^th straight game and dropped to 10-10 on the season after being defeated by the UAB Blazers, 68-65, this past Thursday. Western Kentucky fought back from a 34-27 halftime deficit to the tie the game late, however, UAB was able to secure the victory after Jordan Walker hit a game-winning three-pointer for the Blazers with just :05 seconds left in regulation. Western Kentucky shot 43.1% from the field & 23.5% from beyond the arc while allowing UAB to shoot 42.9% from the field & 41.2% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Hilltoppers was Josh Anderson who had 16 points, 6 rebounds, & 2 assists in 25 minutes from off the bench.

On the season, Western Kentucky is averaging 75.8 ppg on 47.1% shooting from the field. The Hilltoppers are averaging 7.2 three-pointers per game on 34.2% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Western Kentucky has been led by Dayvion McKnight (14.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 6.2 apg, 1.8 spg), Jarius Hamilton (13.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.0 spg), Camron Justice (13.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.6 spg), & Josh Anderson (12.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 2.2 spg).

Defensively, Western Kentucky is allowing their opponents to average 69.5 ppg on 41.1% shooting from the field. The Hilltoppers have a rebound margin of -1.0 and a turnover margin of 1.4.

The Blue Raiders are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games & 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games at Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers are 5-5-1 ATS in their last 11 road games, however, just 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games vs. C-USA East opponents.

Middle Tennessee has been solid on both ends of the court this season and come into this game ranked 130^th in scoring offense, 79^th in scoring defense, & 133^rd in defensive FG%. Western Kentucky has been led by their offense which ranks t-76^th in scoring offense & 43^rd in FG% and despite ranking just 195^th in scoring defense, the Hilltoppers do rank 83^rd in defensive FG%.

Middle Tennessee has had plenty of success ATS at Western Kentucky, however, this is a Blue Raiders team that is just 2-6 on the road and it was a bit concerning to see Marshall have so much success offensively against them on Thursday. Western Kentucky is a tough team to play on their home court and as I think the Hilltoppers come out strong, knowing they need a win, I think they win this one by 6-10 points and cover this spread. Good Luck!