Murray State Racers vs Valparaiso Beacons Prediction, 2/8/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Murray State Racers vs Valparaiso Beacons

Date: Saturday, February 8, 2025

Location: Athletics-Recreation Center in Valparaiso, IN

TV: ESPN+

The Murray State Racers (11-13) are en route to Athletics-Recreation Center on Saturday where they will attempt to beat the Valparaiso Beacons (10-14).

The Murray State Racers stepped onto the hardwood against Drake and ended up losing by a score of 55-45 in their last game. When discussing fouls, the Racers finished with 11 while Drake finished the game with 13 fouls. They also made 2 of 8 shots from beyond the arc. Drake walked away from this one shooting 81.8% at the free throw line by making 9 of their 11 tries. On top of that, Drake grabbed 27 rebounds (7 offensive, 20 defensive), but didn't have a block. Drake distributed 10 dimes and had 6 steals in the matchup. Concerning the defense, Murray State allowed their opponent to shoot 51.2% from the field on 22 out of 43 shooting. They also doled out 9 assists in this matchup while forcing the opposition into 5 turnovers and getting 2 steals. Concerning grabbing boards, they earned 16 with 4 of them being of the offensive variety. At the free throw line, the Racers made 8 of 10 tries for a percentage of 80.0%. Murray State ended the contest with a 41.5% field goal percentage (17 out of 41) and converted 3 of 15 shots from distance.

Kylen Milton is a player who had an impact in the matchup. He ended up shooting 28.6% from the field and also totaled 2 dimes. He was on the hardwood for 28 minutes played and also collected 2 boards. He totaled 10 points on 2 of 7 shooting.

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Murray State enters this one with a win-loss mark of 11-13 for the season. They lose possession by turning the ball over 11.8 times per contest and as a unit they commit 17.2 personal fouls every game. As a unit, Murray State is collecting 32.8 rebounds per contest and has accounted for 293 dimes on the season, which is 247th in the country in terms of passing the ball. The Racers are shooting 34.8% on shots beyond the perimeter (181 of 520) and 70.1% from the charity stripe. They have an average of 72.5 pts per game (231st in college hoops) while connecting on 44.8% from the floor.

When they are on the defensive end, the Racers are forcing their opponents into 12.7 turnovers per game while drawing 18.5 personal fouls. They are surrendering 32.3% on 3-point shots while they are 142nd in college in PPG allowed (70.3). The Racers defensively are giving up a field goal percentage of 46.7% (608 of 1,302) and they concede 32.0 boards per contest as a team. They are 14th in college in giving up assists with 228 conceded this season.

In their last game, the Valparaiso Beacons took a defeat with a final score of 80-62 against Indiana State. When it comes to rebounds, Valparaiso permitted Indiana State to get 35 overall (5 on the offensive glass). They went 42.9% from three-point range by shooting 15 of 35 and ended up shooting 9 out of 10 at the free throw line (90.0%). The Beacons allowed Indiana State to bury 28 of their 61 tries from the field which had them sitting at 45.9% in the matchup. When the final whistle blew, the Beacons went 19 out of 54 from the field which gave them a rate of 35.2%. With regard to three-point attempts, Valparaiso made 5 of their 22 attempts (22.7%). They were able to make 19 of the free throws for a percentage of 79.2%. Indiana State had 17 fouls for the matchup which took the Beacons to the charity stripe for 24 shots. They also coughed it up 7 times, while earning 7 steals in the matchup. The Beacons pulled down 26 defensive boards and 4 offensive boards for a total of 30 for this game.

All Wright was important for the Beacons for this contest. He knocked down 9 out of 23 for the contest giving him a field goal percentage of 39.1%, and earned 4 rebounds. He earned 32 points in his 38 mins on the hardwood and had 1 assist in the matchup.

Valparaiso has a record of 10-14 so far this year. As an offense, the Beacons are shooting 43.1% from the floor, which ranks them 273rd in college. Valparaiso has totaled 1,830 points on the season (76.3 per contest) and they average 35.4 boards per game. Their rate of dishing out assists is at 11.7 times per game (317th in the country) and they turn it over 10.3 times per contest. The Beacons are committing 17.0 fouls every game and they shoot 78.2% from the charity stripe.

The Beacons are ranked 273rd in college in PPG given up with 74.8. They are forcing their opponents into 12.2 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 46.3% from the field (316th in the country). The Valparaiso defense surrenders 33.7% on 3-point attempts (173 of 513) and their opponents are converting on 70.5% of their shots from the free throw line. They allow 13.0 assists and 35.0 total boards per game, which has them ranked 169th and 219th in Division 1.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Murray State

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