Who's Playing

Murray State @ Illinois State

Current Records: Murray State 13-13; Illinois State 10-17

What to Know

The Illinois State Redbirds have been on the wrong side of a one-way rivalry with the Murray State Racers and are hoping to record their first win since Dec. 13 of 2015. The Redbirds and MSU will face off in a Missouri Valley battle at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday at Redbird Arena. Given that these two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this game.

Illinois State was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap this past Saturday as they fell 81-76 to the Valparaiso Beacons. Illinois State's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of guard Seneca Knight, who had 20 points, and guard Darius Burford, who had 17 points and five assists.

Meanwhile,'s it's hard to picture a worse defeat than the 83-48 bruising that MSU suffered against the Bradley Braves this past Saturday. Forward DJ Burns (13 points) was the top scorer for MSU.

Barring any buzzer beaters, the Redbirds are expected to win a tight contest. They have failed bettors playing the spread in their past three games, so buyers beware.

Illinois State is now 10-17 while the Racers sit at 13-13. Two stats to keep an eye on: Illinois State is 21st worst in college basketball in turnovers per game, with 14.6 on average. MSU has experienced some struggles of their own as they are stumbling into the contest with the ninth fewest takeaways in college basketball, having accrued only 10.5 on average. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.

How To Watch

  • When: Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET
  • Where: Redbird Arena -- Normal, Illinois
  • Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Ticket Cost: $22.40

Odds

The Redbirds are a slight 1-point favorite against the Racers, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 1-point spread, and stayed right there.

Over/Under: -109

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Series History

Murray State have won five out of their last six games against Illinois State.

  • Dec 01, 2022 - Murray State 70 vs. Illinois State 67
  • Nov 16, 2021 - Murray State 77 vs. Illinois State 65
  • Dec 05, 2020 - Murray State 76 vs. Illinois State 65
  • Dec 09, 2017 - Murray State 78 vs. Illinois State 72
  • Nov 11, 2016 - Murray State 73 vs. Illinois State 70
  • Dec 13, 2015 - Illinois State 63 vs. Murray State 61