Many eyes in the college basketball world will be on Mitchell Center Saturday as host South Alabama looks to handle the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in NCAA hoops action.

This season, the Jaguars are 7-6 overall and 5-6 ATS ATS, while the Blue Raiders are 11-4 and 6-6 ATS against the number. As for the totals, South Alabama boasts a 5-2-1 on the OU, and Middle Tennessee is 4-6.



View Middle Tennessee vs South Alabama Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Bettors looking to back visiting Middle Tennessee before tip-off in this one found them as 6-point favorites over at Sportsbook earlier.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Jaguars sit at No. 248 in the current college hoops power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Blue Raiders sit at No. 52 on the same chart. The computers running our scores simulations have concluded that the Blue Raiders will win this game 77-69.



How They Match Up:
Rebounding is always a key handicapping consideration and Blue Raiders is ranked No. 93 in NCAA hoops at 37.6 per game. Contrast that with South Alabama’s No. 90 mark in the paint. When it comes to three-point shooting, South Alabama is the No. 118-ranked team in the country at 6.7 per game, while Middle Tennessee rates No. 279 at 4.9 per game.

Defensively, Middle Tennessee features the nation's No. 54-rated defense on the road, allowing 63 points per game. South Alabama, meanwhile, comes in at No. 275 nationally in scoring at home.

Last time out for Middle Tennessee, they were a 66-60 loser as they battled Arkansas State on the road. They failed to cover in the match as a 4.5-point favorite. The Blue Raiders endured a 66-60 loss at the hands of the Red Wolves on Thursday, despite a 23-point effort from Marcos Knight at ASU Convocation Center.

Last time out for South Alabama, they were a 77-72 Sportsbook as they battled Louisiana-Monroe on the road. They failed to cover in the match as a 7-point favorite. Augustine Rubit went off for 32 points and added 13 rebounds for good measure, leading South Alabama to a 77-72 win over Louisiana-Monroe on Thursday at Fant-Ewing Coliseum.


Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 6-4
Before playing Florida Atlantic are 8-2
After playing Arkansas State are 7-3
After a loss are 9-1

South Alabama Jaguars Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing Louisiana-Lafayette are 6-4
After playing Louisiana-Monroe are 5-4
After a win are 5-5

A few Blue Raiders at Jaguars trends to consider:
Middle Tennessee is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against South Alabama
Middle Tennessee is 16-8 SU in its last 24 games on the road
Middle Tennessee is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
South Alabama is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games at home
South Alabama is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games at home
South Alabama is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Middle Tennessee
South Alabama is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Middle Tennessee


Next up:
Middle Tennessee home to Florida Atlantic, Thursday, January 10
South Alabama at Louisiana-Lafayette, Thursday, January 10