The Middle Tenn. Blue Raiders will go on the road for the first time this month when they face the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Thursday night. MTSU has bounced back from a pair of road losses with wins over UTEP and UTSA, improving to third place in the Conference USA standings. Western Kentucky lost five games in a row last month, but it has responded with two wins in February.
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on CBS Sports Network. The Hilltoppers are favored by 1.5 points in the latest Middle Tenn. vs. Western Kentucky odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under is set at 142. Before entering any Western Kentucky vs. Middle Tenn. picks, you'll want to see the college basketball predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters Week 14 of the season 57-37 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season, returning more than $1,000 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Middle Tenn. vs. Western Kentucky. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds for Middle Tenn. vs. Western Kentucky:
- Middle Tenn. vs. Western Kentucky spread: Western Kentucky -1.5
- Middle Tenn. vs. Western Kentucky over/under: 142 points
- Middle Tenn. vs. Western Kentucky money line: Western Kentucky -120, MTSU +100
- Middle Tenn. vs. Western Kentucky picks: See picks here
Why Middle Tenn. can cover
MTSU enters this contest having won six of its last eight games, including back-to-back wins over UTEP and UTSA. The Blue Raiders won both of those games by double digits, covering the spread on both occasions. They had a balanced scoring effort in their 84-60 win against UTSA last Saturday, as Camryn Weston, Jestin Porter and Teafale Lenard Jr. all scored 13 points.
Junior guard Eli Lawrence leads MTSU with 12.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, while senior forward Deandre Dishman is adding 11.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists. They have already notched one win over Western Kentucky this season, recording a 65-60 win on New Year's Eve behind 19 points from Lenard. MTSU has covered the spread in six consecutive trips to Western Kentucky.
Why Western Kentucky can cover
Western Kentucky was unable to pull off the outright upset at MTSU in the first meeting between these teams, but it was able to cover the 5.5-point spread in that game. The Hilltoppers had three players score in double figures in that outing, led by Emmanuel Akot's 14 points and six rebounds. They are coming off consecutive wins over UTSA and UTEP, and they have covered the spread in two of their last three games.
The Hilltoppers have been an excellent team at home, going 11-4 in their last 15 games at E.A. Diddle Arena. Junior guard Dayvion McKnight leads Western Kentucky with 16.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Akot (10.7), a senior guard, and senior forward Jairus Hamilton (10.1) are both scoring in double figures as well.
How to make Middle Tenn. vs. Western Kentucky picks
The model has simulated Western Kentucky vs. MTSU 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins MTSU vs. Western Kentucky? And which side of the spread is hitting well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is 57-37 on its top-rated college basketball picks this season, and find out.
