Southeast Missouri State Redhawks vs Murray State Racers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/8/24

The Redhawks and Racers are set to face off at 4:00 ET on ESPN+. The Racers will host the game at CFSB Center in Murray, KY. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 144 points, and Murray State is favored by -16.5 at home against Southeast Missouri State.

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE REDHAWKS VS MURRAY STATE RACERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Southeast Missouri State Redhawks +16.5

This game will be played at CFSB Center at 4:00 ET on Sunday, December 8th.

WHY BET THE SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE REDHAWKS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-71 in favor of the Racers.
• Even though we have Murray State winning straight-up, we like Southeast Missouri State at +16.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 144 points, and we like the over with a projected 148 points.

Is a Road Win Possible for Southeast Missouri State?

The Redhawks fell to 2-5 on the season after a 78-60 road loss to Lipscomb on Thursday. Entering the game as +16.5 underdogs, Southeast Missouri State not only lost but also failed to cover the spread.

After trailing 37-28 at halftime, the Redhawks allowed 41 points in the 2nd half while scoring 32. The game’s total points of 138 fell short of the 145.5 over/under line.

Southeast Missouri State’s offense struggled in their last game, putting up just 60 points while shooting 41.7% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 46.7%, with a two-point shooting percentage of 43.5% and a three-point shooting mark of 35.7% (5/14).

Jacob Ognacevic led the way with 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting, while Gyasi Powell added 19 points, hitting 5-of-8 from beyond the arc. The Redhawks managed just 9 assists and 9 offensive rebounds, and shot 62.5% from the free-throw line, making 5 of 8 attempts.

Southeast Missouri State struggled defensively, giving up 78 points on 48% shooting from the field. They allowed their opponent to connect on 54% of their two-point attempts, with 19 makes on 35 tries.

From beyond the arc, the Redhawks’ defense gave up 10 threes on 25 attempts, a 40% success rate. They also sent their opponent to the line 16 times, where they hit 10 free throws for 62%. Southeast Missouri State allowed 10 offensive rebounds in the game.

Can the Racers Secure a Win at Home?

Murray State improved to 4-2 on the season with a narrow 63-61 home win over Evansville on Tuesday. The Racers, who were -12.5 point favorites, didn’t cover the spread, and the game’s total points of 124 fell well short of the 145.5 O/U line.

Murray State led 33-25 at halftime but allowed 36 points in the 2nd half while scoring 30. Despite the win, the Racers will need to tighten up defensively moving forward.

Murray State managed just 63 points in their latest game, shooting 43.1% from the field and 36.8% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage stood at 51%, and they connected on 66.7% of their free throws, going 12-for-18 from the line.

JaCobi Wood led the Racers with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, hitting 3 of his 8 three-point attempts. Gabriel Pozzato added 15 points, and Cam Haffner contributed 14, while Kylen Milton chipped in 12 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 50% from three.

Even with Murray State allowing 61 points, they still managed to hold their opponents to 43% shooting from the field, as the Racers gave up 22 made baskets on 51 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 15 two-point field goals on 32 attempts, a 46% shooting rate.

From three-point range, Murray State’s defense conceded 7 made threes on 19 attempts, with their opponents shooting 36%. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 18 times, where they converted 12 of those attempts, shooting 66%. The Racers allowed 9 offensive rebounds in the game.