Murray State Racers vs UIC Flames NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/15/25
Planning on watching today’s Racers and Flames game? Catch the action at Credit Union 1 Arena in Chicago, IL, as the Flames hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on ESPN+. Murray State come into this Missouri Valley conference matchup as the -1 favorite. The over/under line currently sits at 139 points.
MURRAY STATE RACERS VS UIC FLAMES BETTING PICK
The Pick: UIC Flames +1
This game will be played at Credit Union 1 Arena at 8:00 ET on Wednesday, January 15th.
WHY BET THE UIC FLAMES:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 78-68 in favor of the Flames.
- Not only will UIC pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +1.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 139 points, and we like the over with a projected 146 points.
Can the Racers Pull Out the Win as Road Favorites?
Murray State Racers Recent Game/Games
Murray State improved to 9-7 on the season with a 58-47 win over Valparaiso on Saturday, January 11th. Playing at home, the Racers were -8 point favorites and covered the spread with the win.
Leading 26-21 at halftime, Murray State outscored Valparaiso 32-26 in the 2nd half. The game’s total points of 105 fell well short of the 144.5 O/U line.
Murray State managed just 58 points in their last game, shooting 34% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 37.7%. Their three-point shooting was a struggle, hitting only 4 of 16 attempts for 25%, while they connected on 75% of their free throws, going 18 for 24.
Nick Ellington led the Racers with 15 points and 8 rebounds, shooting 55.6% from the field. Cooper Schwieger added 12 points and 7 rebounds, also shooting over 50%. Darius DeAveiro contributed 11 points, hitting 3 of 7 from beyond the arc for a team-best 42.9% three-point shooting.
Defensively, Murray State held their opponents to just 47 points, allowing them to shoot 34% from the field (18/53). The Racers limited two-point opportunities, with their opponents hitting 14 of 37 attempts (37%).
From beyond the arc, Murray State’s defense was strong, as they gave up just 4 threes on 16 attempts (25%). Their opponents also went to the line 24 times, converting 18 free throws (75%).
Will the Flames Exceed Expectations at Home?
UIC fell to 8-6 on the season after a narrow 61-60 loss to Bradley on Saturday. The Flames, who were +3 underdogs, covered the spread but couldn’t pull off the win. The game’s total points of 121 came in well under the O/U line of 144.5.
UIC led 34-25 at halftime but were outscored 36-26 in the second half, allowing Bradley to make a comeback.
UIC’s offense struggled from beyond the arc in their last game, hitting just 2 of 23 three-point attempts for an 8.7% shooting percentage. Overall, they shot 35.5% from the field, with an effective field goal percentage of 37.1%.
Inside the arc, the Flames connected on 51.3% of their two-point shots, and they grabbed 15 offensive rebounds. At the free-throw line, they made 14 of 23 attempts, shooting 60.9%.
UIC’s defense was solid, holding their opponent to just 61 points on 35% shooting from the field. They were particularly effective at defending the three-point line, where they limited the opposition to just 2 made threes on 23 attempts, an 8% shooting performance.
However, UIC did allow 15 offensive rebounds, which contributed to their opponent’s 23 free-throw attempts. The opposition made 14 of those, shooting 60% from the line.