It's a play by play man's worst nightmare - similar-sounding schools battling in a key NIT matchup. Bettors will hope to hit paydirt on Tuesday as the Missouri State Bears meet the Racers of Murray State at JQH Arena.

The Bears currently sports a 25-8 record overall in NCAAB action, and have posted a corresponding betting slate of just 14-15-1 ATS. The Racers are 23-8 and also have been disappointing for bettors at 9-13-2 ATS. It's a first-round game in the NIT Tournament's Region 1.



View Murray State vs Missouri State Odds and Stats.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
This game puts the Bears, most recently No. 139 in the Odds Shark power rankings, up against the Racers, who rate No. 131 in the latest survey. Meanwhile, math and computer-based handicapping simulations run on this game predict a potential 73-72 victory for the Racers.



How They Match Up:
When it comes to rebounds, the visiting Racers rank No. 285 in NCAA Division 1 with 32.6 per game. That compares with Missouri State’s No. 261 ranking in that category. The story is different when it comes to three-point shooting where Missouri State is college basketball's No. 114-ranked team at 6.7 per game, while the Racers rate No. 189 with 6 per game.

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Defensively, Murray State features the nation's No. 44-rated defense on the road, allowing 65.2 points per game. Missouri State, meanwhile, comes in at No. 173 nationally in scoring at home.

Murray State lost its last outing, a 64-59 result against Tennessee Tech on March 4. They failed to cover in that game as an 8-point favorite. The Racers endured a 64-59 loss at the hands of the Golden Eagles on Friday, despite a 15-point effort from Ivan Aska at Municipal Auditorium.

Missouri State was a 60-56 loser in its last match at home against Indiana State. They failed to cover the 5–point spread as favorites. The Bears got 17 points from Jermaine Mallett, but it was Indiana State that prevailed in a 60-56 final on Sunday at Scottrade Center.


Murray State Racers Trends:
When playing on Tuesday are 8-2
After playing Tennessee Tech are 8-2
After a loss are 9-1

Missouri State Bears Trends:
When playing on Tuesday are 6-4
After playing Indiana State are 5-5
After a loss are 8-2

A few Racers at Bears trends to consider:
Murray State is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Missouri State's last 5 games at home
Missouri State is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games at home
Missouri State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Missouri State's last 5 games