Murray State Racers vs Northern Iowa Panthers Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Murray State vs Northern Iowa NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Cedar Falls.

Murray State vs Northern Iowa Prediction

Betting on today's Racers and Panthers game? Catch the action at McLeod Center in Cedar Falls, IA, as the Panthers hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this game is set at 138.5 points, and Northern Iowa is favored by -5.5 vs. Murray State in a Missouri Valley conference matchup.

Murray State vs. Northern Iowa Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Murray State Racers at Northern Iowa Panthers
Where: Cedar Falls at McLeod Center
Date: Wednesday, January 8th
Betting Odds NIOWA -5.5, MURST +190 | NIOWA -239 O/U 138.5

Racers Preview: Will Murray State Find a Way to Win on the Road?

Murray State Racers Recent Game

Murray State improved to 7-7 on the season with a 66-59 road win over Drake on Sunday. The Racers entered the game as +10 point underdogs but not only pulled off the upset, they also covered the spread.

After a 26-26 tie at halftime, Murray State outscored Drake 40-33 in the second half. The game’s total points of 125 fell just under the O/U line of 125.5.

Racers Offense Breakdown

Murray State's offense put up 66 points in their last game, shooting 55% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 65%. They hit 60% of their two-point attempts and 46.7% from beyond the arc, going 7-for-15 from three-point range. At the free-throw line, the Racers connected on 75%, making 15 out of 20 attempts.

Terence Harcum led the way with 20 points, hitting 4-of-7 from three-point range. Kylen Milton added 15 points, shooting 71.4% overall and 66.7% from deep. Isaia Howard contributed 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting, while Bennett Stirtz also scored 13, despite going 0-for-3 from three-point range.

Racers Team Defense

Even with Murray State's defense giving up 59 points, they managed to keep their opponent's shooting in check, allowing just 41% from the field on 21 of 51 shooting. Inside the arc, the Racers' defense held their opponent to 45% shooting, with 17 makes on 37 attempts.

From three-point range, Murray State limited their opponent to 4 of 14 shooting, or 28%. At the free-throw line, their opponent hit 13 of 18 attempts, good for 72%. The Racers also gave up 9 offensive rebounds in the game.

Panthers Preview: Will Northern Iowa Win at Home?

Northern Iowa Panthers Recent Game

Northern Iowa fell to 8-6 on the season after an 80-73 road loss to Valparaiso on Saturday. The Panthers, who were -4.5 favorites going into the game, didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game hit 153, going over the pre-game O/U line of 148.5.

Northern Iowa trailed 43-36 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap in the 2nd half, as both teams scored 37 points after the break.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Northern Iowa put up 73 points in their last game, shooting 50% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 56%, thanks largely to their 66.7% shooting on two-point attempts (20/30), though they struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 25% (5/20) of their threes.

Tytan Anderson led the way with 27 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 70% from the field. Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro added 20 points, hitting 50% of his threes (2/4), while Tyler Schmidt contributed 15 points, connecting on 3 of 8 from deep.

Panthers Team Defense

Despite Northern Iowa's defensive efforts, they gave up 80 points in their latest game. The Panthers allowed their opponent to shoot 42% from the field, with 25 made baskets on 59 attempts.

From two-point range, Northern Iowa's defense allowed 16 makes on 30 attempts, a 53% shooting rate. They also gave up 21 free throws on 24 attempts, an 87% success rate.

Racers vs Panthers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Murray State has a 2-3 record in their last five road games. In this stretch, they averaged 78 points per game while allowing 77. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
When looking at their past five home matchups, Northern Iowa has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 76 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Murray State has an ATS mark of 6-4 while going 3-7 straight up.
Going back to their previous ten games as the favorite, Northern Iowa has an ATS mark of 8-2 while going 8-2 straight up.