Murray State Racers vs Northern Iowa Panthers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/8/25
The Racers and Panthers are set to face off at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The Panthers will host the game at McLeod Center in Cedar Falls, IA. The odds for this Missouri Valley conference game currently have Northern Iowa as the -5.5 point favorite with the over/under line sitting at 138.5 points.
MURRAY STATE RACERS VS NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Northern Iowa Panthers -5.5
This game will be played at McLeod Center at 7:00 ET on Wednesday, January 8th.
WHY BET THE NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 78-69 in favor of the Panthers.
- Not only will Northern Iowa pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -5.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 138.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 147 points.
Can the Murray State Offense Score Enough on the Road?
Murray State Racers Recent Game/Games
The Racers improved to 7-7 on the season with a 66-59 road win over Drake on Sunday. Murray State entered the game as +10 point underdogs and not only pulled off the upset but also covered the spread.
After a 26-26 tie at halftime, the Racers outscored Drake 40-33 in the second half. The total points for the game were 125, just under the O/U line of 125.5.
Murray State’s offense put up 66 points in their last game, shooting 55% from the field and posting an effective field goal percentage of 65%. They connected on 60% of their two-point attempts and hit 46.7% from beyond the arc, going 7-for-15 from three-point range. At the free-throw line, the Racers made 15 of 20 attempts, good for 75%.
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 was also efficient, making 6-of-8 shots, including his only three-point attempt, and finishing with 13 points and 6 rebounds.
Defensively, Murray State held their opponent to 59 points on 41% shooting from the field, including 45% from two-point range with 17 made shots out of 37 attempts.
From beyond the arc, the Racers limited their opponent to 4 threes on 14 attempts, a 28% shooting performance. They also sent them to the line 18 times, where they converted 13 free throws (72%).
Is A Home Victory Likely for the Favored Panthers?
Northern Iowa’s season record dropped to 8-6 after a 80-73 road loss to Valparaiso on Saturday. The Panthers, who entered the game as -4.5 favorites, not only lost straight up but also failed to cover the spread.
Trailing 43-36 at halftime, Northern Iowa couldn’t make up ground in the 2nd half, as both teams scored 37 points after the break. The total points for the game ended at 153, going over the pre-game O/U line of 148.5.
Northern Iowa put up 73 points in their last game, shooting 50% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 56%, thanks to strong two-point shooting at 66.7% (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.
Even with Northern Iowa giving up 80 points, they held their opponent to 42% shooting from the field. The Panthers allowed 53% shooting on two-point attempts, with the other team connecting on 16 of 30 shots inside the arc.
From three-point range, Northern Iowa’s defense saw their opponent hit 9 of 29 attempts, good for 31%. The Panthers also sent the other team to the line 24 times, where they made 21 free throws, shooting 87%. Northern Iowa gave up 8 offensive rebounds in the game.