Belmont Bruins vs MTSU Blue Raiders Prediction, 12/9/2023 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Belmont Bruins vs MTSU Blue Raiders

Date: Saturday, December 9, 2023

Location: Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, TN

TV: ESPN+

The MTSU Blue Raiders (5-5) are hosting the Belmont Bruins (7-3) at Murphy Center on Saturday.

The Belmont Bruins faced Lipscomb and walked away with a win by a score of 72-71 in their last game. Belmont finished the contest with a 47.5% FG percentage (28 of 59) and knocked down 7 of 21 three-point attempts. From the free throw line, the Bruins converted 9 of their 12 shots for a percentage of 75.0%. When talking about grabbing rebounds, they collected a total of 30 with 7 of them being offensive. They also recorded 12 assists in this contest while forcing 14 turnovers and getting 7 steals. In relation to the defense, Belmont let their opponent shoot 41.9% from the field on 26 of 62 shooting. Lipscomb totaled 11 assists and had 7 steals for the game. Additionally, Lipscomb collected 33 rebounds (9 offensive, 24 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Lipscomb went 86.7% at the charity stripe by burying 13 of 15 shots. They also made 6 of their 29 tries from distance. When it comes to personal fouls, the Bruins finished with 15 and Lipscomb had 13 personal fouls.

Malik Dia is one guy who played a role for the contest. He accounted for 15 points on 5 of 9 shooting. He saw the court for 17 mins and snagged 4 boards. He finished the game shooting 55.6% from the floor but didn't record an assist.

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Belmont steps onto the hardwood with a win-loss mark of 7-3 for the season. They average 81.2 pts per contest (67th in Division 1) while hitting 49.2% from the floor. The Bruins are connecting on 37.3% on shots beyond the perimeter (88 of 236) and 67.8% from the charity stripe. As a unit, Belmont is collecting 35.4 rebounds per contest and has 152 assists so far this season, which is 30th in Division 1 in terms of passing the rock. They lose possession by turning the ball over 14.0 times per game and as a squad they commit 15.1 fouls per contest.

On defense, the Bruins have forced 12.4 turnovers every game and they draw 16.7 fouls. They are giving up 31.3% on three-point shots and they are ranked 332nd in college hoops in points per game allowed (79.5). The Bruins defensively are giving up a shooting percentage of 45.4% (303 of 668) and they surrender 37.0 rebounds per game as a group. They are 351st in college basketball in giving up assists with 152 relinquished for the year.

The last time they took the hardwood, the MTSU Blue Raiders went home victorious with a score of 77-73 when they played Missouri State. The Blue Raiders collected 23 defensive boards and 12 offensive rebounds for a total of 35 in the matchup. They coughed up the ball 6 times, while getting 7 steals for the contest. Missouri State committed 18 fouls for the contest which took the Blue Raiders to the free throw line for a total of 17 attempts. They were able to bury 9 of them for a clip of 52.9%. When it comes to 3-point shots, MTSU buried 12 of 36 attempts (33.3%). When the game finished, the Blue Raiders finished shooting 28 out of 72 from the field which had them shooting 38.9%. The Blue Raiders allowed Missouri State to make 24 of their 59 attempts from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 40.7% for this game. They shot 30.8% from distance by connecting on 8 of 26 and ended up shooting 17 out of 19 from the charity stripe (89.5%). In relation to rebounds, MTSU permitted Missouri State to collect 37 overall (7 on the offensive glass).

Elias King was important for the Blue Raiders in the game. He scored 22 points in his 32 minutes on the court and had 2 dimes for this contest. He knocked down 8 of 14 for this game for a field goal rate of 57.1%, and earned 4 rebounds.

MTSU has a mark of 5-5 for the campaign. On the offensive side of the court, the Blue Raiders are shooting 40.3% from the floor, which is ranked 326th in the country. MTSU has earned 662 pts for the campaign (66.2 per contest) and they pull in 35.9 rebounds per contest. They are assisting teammates 9.5 times per contest (352nd in D-1) and they cough up possession 13.1 times per contest. The Blue Raiders are responsible for committing 14.7 fouls per contest and they go 67.7% from the charity stripe.

The MTSU defense allows 29.5% on shots from behind the 3-point line (52 of 176) and their opposition makes 66.4% of their free throw shots. They have surrendered 11.0 assists and 34.2 rebounds on a nightly basis, which is ranked 82nd and 143rd in those categories. The Blue Raiders defensively are ranked 75th in D-1 in PPG allowed with 66.1. They are able to force 12.7 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 45.7% from the field (305th in college basketball).

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take MTSU

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