Kennesaw State Owls vs Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Matchup

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

Kennesaw State vs Middle Tennessee Prediction

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Owls 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. This Conference USA conference matchup has an over/under of 156.5 points, and Middle Tennessee is favored to win by -8.5 at home vs. Kennesaw State.

Kennesaw State vs. Middle Tennessee Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Kennesaw State Owls at Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
Where: Murfreesboro at Murphy Athletic Center
Date: Thursday, January 9th
Betting Odds MTNST -8.5, KENEST +295 | MTNST -397 O/U 156.5

Owls Preview: Can the Owls Pull Off a Win at Murfreesboro?

Kennesaw State Owls Recent Game/Games

Kennesaw State moved to 6-5 on the season with an 83-71 win over Jacksonville State on Saturday. The Owls, who were -1.5 favorites, covered the spread with the victory.

After a 36-36 tie at halftime, Kennesaw State pulled away by scoring 47 points in the 2nd half while holding Jacksonville State to 35. The game’s total points of 154 just missed the O/U line of 154.5.

Owls Offense Breakdown

Kennesaw State put up 83 points in their last game, shooting 45.5% from the field and 32.3% from three-point range, connecting on 10 of 31 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 53%, and they hit 57.1% of their two-point shots, going 20 for 35 inside the arc.

The Owls also made 13 of 17 free throws, shooting 76.5% from the line, and grabbed 15 offensive rebounds, with 15 assists as a team. Simeon Cottle led the way with 28 points, hitting 4 of 11 threes, while Adrian Wooley and Jaron Pierre Jr. each added 20 points, with Wooley shooting 57.1% overall.

Owls Team Defense

Kennesaw State's defense gave up 71 points, allowing the opposing team to shoot 45% from the field, with a 57% success rate on two-point attempts (20/35). From beyond the arc, the other team hit 10 of 31 three-pointers, good for 32%.

The Owls sent their opponents to the free-throw line 17 times, where they converted 13 attempts, shooting 76%. Kennesaw State also allowed 15 offensive rebounds in the game.

Blue Raiders Preview: Can the Blue Raiders Pull Off a Home Win?

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Recent Game/Games

Middle Tennessee fell to 8-5 on the season after a 73-63 road loss to Liberty on Saturday. The Blue Raiders entered the game as +7.5 point underdogs and didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 136, just under the O/U line of 139.5.

Middle Tennessee struggled early, trailing 42-25 at halftime. They improved in the second half, outscoring Liberty 38-31, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback.

Blue Raiders Offense Breakdown

Middle Tennessee struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 37.9% from the field and 26.1% from beyond the arc, finishing with an effective field goal percentage of 42.4%. They managed to score 63 points, with 15 offensive rebounds and 8 assists as a team.

Kaden Metheny led the way with 19 points, shooting 53.3% overall and hitting 3 of 8 from three-point range. Colin Porter also contributed, hitting 3 of 4 from deep and finishing with 16 points and 5 assists.

Blue Raiders Team Defense

Middle Tennessee's defense gave up 73 points in their last game, with opponents shooting 43% from the field. They allowed 28 made field goals on 64 attempts.

From three-point range, the opposition hit 10 of 26 shots, good for 38%. They also went 7/10 from the free-throw line.

Owls vs Blue Raiders Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Although Kennesaw State has a straight up record of 3-7 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 4-6. The team averaged 71 points per game in these games.
Middle Tennessee has a 2-3 record in their last five home games. In this stretch, they averaged 71 points per game while allowing 75. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-1-1.
In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Owls have a straight up record of 2-3 and an ATS mark of 2-3.
The Blue Raiders have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 4-1 straight up and 3-2 against the spread.