College hoops betting interest focuses on the Middle Tennessee vs Western Kentucky battle Saturday at Murphy Center as the Blue Raiders look to defend home court and cover the NCAAB point spread.

The Blue Raiders sit at 14-15 (8-11-1 ATS) on the season. By comparison, the Hilltoppers are currently 14-14 (8-14 ATS). Looking to wager on the totals? Middle Tennessee is 8-12 OU, and Western Kentucky is 11-11 OU.



View Western Kentucky vs Middle Tennessee Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The Hilltoppers are listed as 4-point underdogs at many online sportsbooks.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new college basketball power rankings here, it's the No. 191-ranked Blue Raiders and the No. 184-rated Hilltoppers in this matchup. Computer formulas aimed at predicting NCAAB scores point to a 72-70 win for the Blue Raiders on Saturday.



How They Match Up:
Rebounding is always a key handicapping consideration and Hilltoppers is ranked No. 78 in NCAA hoops at 36.9 per game. Contrast that with Middle Tennessee’s No. 186 mark in the paint. When it comes to three-point shooting, Middle Tennessee is the No. 268-ranked team in the country at 5.3 per game, while Western Kentucky rates No. 218 at 5.8 per game.

Defensively, Western Kentucky features the nation's No. 218-rated defense on the road, allowing 72.3 points per game. Middle Tennessee, meanwhile, comes in at No. 188 nationally in scoring at home.

Western Kentucky won its last outing, an 80-73 result against Florida International on February 24. They failed to cover in that game as a 10.5-point favorite. Western Kentucky got 26 points and 11 rebounds from Sergio Kerusch en route to an 80-73 victory over Florida International on Thursday at EA Diddle Arena.

Middle Tennessee was a 70-68 loser in their most recent outing on the road against Houston Baptist. James Washington III scored 21 points in a futile effort to lead the Blue Raiders to a win (they lost 70-68 to Houston Baptist at Sharp Gym on Tuesday).


Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 6-4
After playing Florida International are 9-1
After a win are 6-4

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 5-4
After playing Houston Baptist are 0-3
After a loss are 4-6

A few Hilltoppers at Blue Raiders trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Western Kentucky's last 6 games when playing on the road against Middle Tennessee
Western Kentucky is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games on the road
Western Kentucky is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Middle Tennessee's last 10 games when playing Western Kentucky
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Middle Tennessee's last 6 games when playing at home against Western Kentucky
Middle Tennessee is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Western Kentucky