Don’t miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Redbirds and Racers. The game is starting at 8:00 ET on ESPN+, and it’s hosted by the Racers at CFSB Center in Murray, KY. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under for this game is set at 131.5 points, and Murray State is favored by -7 vs. Illinois State in a Missouri Valley conference matchup.

ILLINOIS STATE REDBIRDS VS MURRAY STATE RACERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Illinois State Redbirds +7

This game will be played at CFSB Center at 8:00 ET on Tuesday, January 30th.

WHY BET THE ILLINOIS STATE REDBIRDS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-70 in favor of the Racers.
  • Even though we have Murray State winning straight-up, we like Illinois State at +7.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 131.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 145 points.

Will Illinois State Win on the Road?

Illinois State will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak when they take on Murray State. The Redbirds are 10-11 overall, including a 4-6 record in Missouri Valley Conference play. On the road, Illinois State is just 2-7 this season.

For the year, the Redbirds have been the underdog in 10 of their 21 games, going 3-7 in those matchups. In their last game, Illinois State lost to Evansville by a score of 58-54.

As the underdog, Illinois State has an ATS record of just 3-7 this season and they are just 1-4 vs. the spread in their last 5 games as the underdog. On the road, the Redbirds have gone just 2-8 vs. the spread this year and they are 1-2 ATS in their last 3 road games.

Today’s over/under line of 131.5 is lower than the average over/under line in Illinois State’s games this year (140.6). So far, the over/under record in their games is 8-12. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 127 points and during their last five games, the average scoring total is 125 points.

Compared to their season average of 66.3 points per game, Illinois State struggled in their previous game. Against Evansville, the Redbirds scored 54 points while finishing with a field goal percentage of 32%. The team’s top scorer is Darius Burford, who enters today’s matchup with an average of 13.7, while Myles Foster also carries a PPG average of 10.9 into the game.

So far, the Redbirds’ defense is ranked 88th in the country at 68.0 points per contest. The Illinois State defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 58 points and allowed Evansville to connect on 3 threes.

Can Murray State Pull Out the Win as Home Favorites?

After losing their third straight game, Murray State will look to get back on track when they host Illinois State. So far this season, the Racers have gone 4-7 at home compared to 3-6 on the road.

Overall, Murray State has an 8-13 record, including a 5-5 mark in Missouri Valley Conference action. For the year, the Racers have been favored in nine games, going 3-6 in those contests.

This season, Murray State has an ATS record of 9-11 and they are 3-8 vs. the spread at home. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Racers have gone 3-7 vs. the spread.

This season, the over/under record for Murray State games is 8-12, and today’s over/under line of 131.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games (143). So far, 12 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. In their last three games, the average scoring total is 128 points.

Murray State offense recently wrapped up a game with a total of 58 points against Southern Illinois. In that game, they made 7/16 three-point attempts and achieved a field goal percentage of 47.8%. In terms of offense, the Racers have a season-long field goal percentage of 44%, putting them 223rd in the NCAA. Regarding three-pointers, they are ranked 244th in percentage and 226th in three-pointers made.

Coming into today’s game, the Murray State defense is giving up an average of 69.3 points per contest. Against Southern Illinois, the Racers’ defense gave up 60 points and did a good job not fouling. For the game, Southern Illinois only made 7 free-throws.