California Baptist Lancers vs Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our California Baptist vs Middle Tennessee NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Murfreesboro.

California Baptist vs Middle Tennessee Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Lancers versus the Blue Raiders? Tip off is at at 7:30 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at Murphy Athletic Center in Murfreesboro, TN. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 144 points, with Middle Tennessee being favored by -4 over California Baptist.

California Baptist vs. Middle Tennessee Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: California Baptist Lancers at Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
Where: Murfreesboro at Murphy Athletic Center
Date: Monday, December 16th
Betting Odds MTNST -4, CABAP +144 | MTNST -177 O/U 144

Lancers Preview: Will California Baptist Find a Way to Win on the Road?

California Baptist dropped to 5-5 on the season after an 81-75 road loss to San Diego State on Wednesday. The Lancers entered the game as +13.5 point underdogs but managed to keep it closer than expected.

After trailing 40-33 at halftime, the Lancers scored 42 points in the 2nd half while allowing 41. The game’s total points of 156 went over the pre-game O/U line of 136.5.

Lancers Offense Breakdown

California Baptist put up 75 points in their last game, shooting 45.3% from the field and hitting 36.4% from beyond the arc, making 12 threes on 33 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 54.7%, and they were perfect from the free-throw line, going 5 for 5.

Dominique Daniels Jr. led the way with 22 points and 6 assists, despite shooting just 38.1% overall and 27.3% from three. Miles Byrd contributed 19 points, hitting 4 of 6 from deep, while Nick Boyd added 16 points and 8 assists, connecting on 2 of 3 from three-point range.

Lancers Team Defense

California Baptist struggled defensively, giving up 81 points while allowing their opponents to shoot 54% from the field. This included 55% shooting on two-point attempts, with the opposing team hitting 19 of their 34 shots inside the arc.

From three-point range, the Lancers allowed 9 threes on 17 attempts, a 52% shooting performance. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 20 times, where they converted 16 shots, an 80% success rate. California Baptist gave up 7 offensive rebounds in the game.

Blue Raiders Preview: Will Middle Tennessee Live Up to Expectations at Home?

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Recent Game/Games

Middle Tennessee fell to 5-3 on the season after a narrow 82-79 loss to Belmont on Saturday. The Blue Raiders, who were +3 point underdogs, pushed against the spread. The game’s total points of 161 exceeded the O/U line of 155.

Middle Tennessee trailed 38-30 at halftime but put up 49 points in the 2nd half. However, they allowed 44 points in the 2nd half, which hindered their comeback efforts.

Blue Raiders Offense Breakdown

Middle Tennessee put up 79 points in their last game, shooting 45.5% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 53%. They connected on 10 of 26 three-point attempts, hitting 38.5% from deep, and went 9 for 12 from the free-throw line, good for 75%.

Jlynn Counter led the way with 22 points and 5 assists, shooting 50% from the field and 3 for 6 from beyond the arc. Jestin Porter added 21 points, hitting 5 threes at a 41.7% rate, while Carter Whitt contributed 14 points and 8 assists, despite missing all 4 of his three-point attempts.

Blue Raiders Team Defense

Middle Tennessee's defense gave up 82 points, with their opponents shooting 42% from the field, hitting 31 of 73 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 46% shooting, as their opponents connected on 25 of 54 two-point shots.

From three-point range, Middle Tennessee's defense held their opponents to 31% shooting, with 6 made threes on 19 attempts. They also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 21 times, where they converted 14 for 66%. Middle Tennessee gave up 19 offensive rebounds in the game.

Lancers vs Blue Raiders Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across the Lancers last three road games, the team averaged 73 points per game while allowing 78. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-2, while going 1-2 straight-up.
The Blue Raiders are 3-1-1 ATS in their last home games and 3-2 straight-up.
Through their last three games as the betting underdog, the Lancers have a strong record vs the spread going 2-1. Their straight up mark in these contests is 0-3.
As the betting favorite, the Blue Raiders have an ATS mark of just 6-4 in their last ten games. Middle Tennessee posted a straight up mark of 7-3 in these matchups.