Kennesaw State Owls vs MTSU Blue Raiders Prediction, 1/9/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Kennesaw State Owls vs MTSU Blue Raiders

Date: Thursday, January 9, 2025

Location: Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, TN

TV: ESPN+

Murphy Center is the location where the MTSU Blue Raiders (10-5) will try to beat the Kennesaw State Owls (9-5) on Thursday.

The Kennesaw State Owls played Jacksonville State and earned the victory with a final of 83-71 in their last contest. Kennesaw State ended the game with a 45.5% field goal percentage (30 of 66) and buried 10 of their 31 shots from distance. From the charity stripe, the Owls buried 13 of 17 attempts for a rate of 76.5%. In the matter of hauling in boards, they collected 40 with 13 of them being on the offensive end. They also doled out 15 assists in this game in addition to forcing 6 turnovers and getting 6 steals. With respect to the defense, Kennesaw State allowed the other team to go 36.2% from the field on 21 out of 58 shooting. Jacksonville State earned 8 assists and had 5 steals in this game. Moreover, Jacksonville State pulled down 24 rebounds (7 offensive, 17 defensive), but wasn't able to put a block in the stat sheet. Jacksonville State finished the game at 82.1% at the free throw line by making 23 of their 28 shots. They also knocked down 6 of their 24 shots from long range. In the matter of fouls, the Owls finished with 23 while Jacksonville State totaled 17 fouls.

Simeon Cottle is one guy who was a major factor for this contest. He accumulated 28 points on 9 of 21 shooting. He played 35 mins played and totaled 3 boards. He went 42.9% from the field and also recorded 2 assists.

Get all of our NCAA Expert Picks

Kennesaw State will play this contest with a mark of 9-5 for the season. They are giving up possession 14.4 times per contest and as a group are committing 18.6 fouls per contest. As a team, Kennesaw State is snagging 43.5 rebounds per contest and has racked up 208 assists on the season, which has them ranked 194th in D-1 in terms of passing. The Owls are hitting 32.6% on shots from distance (135 of 414) and 71.3% from the free throw line. They are averaging 81.2 points per contest (61st in Division 1) while shooting 43.1% from the field.

When they are on defense, the Owls are able to force 11.8 turnovers per contest and they draw 18.1 fouls. They are currently ranked 125th in D-1 in giving up assists to their opponents with 181 surrendered so far this year. The Owls defense is allowing a FG percentage of 40.3% (358 of 888) and they surrender 35.6 boards per game as a group. They give up 28.8% on shots from downtown while they are 270th in Division 1 in opponents points per game (74.6).

When they last stepped on the court, the MTSU Blue Raiders walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 73-63 when they faced Liberty. The Blue Raiders pulled down 26 defensive rebounds and 15 offensive boards totaling 41 for the game. They coughed up the ball 9 times, while recording 6 steals for the matchup. Liberty committed 14 fouls for the matchup which took the Blue Raiders to the charity stripe for a total of 11 shots. They were able to knock down 7 of them for a clip of 63.6%. Concerning shots from 3-point land, MTSU buried 6 of 23 tries (26.1%). When the final whistle blew, the Blue Raiders shot 25 for 66 from the floor which had them shooting 37.9%. The Blue Raiders allowed Liberty to convert 28 of 64 tries from the field which gave them a percentage of 43.8% for the game. They finished shooting 38.5% from distance by shooting 10 out of 26 and finished the contest at 7 of 10 from the free throw line (70.0%). When it comes to how they attacked the glass, MTSU permitted Liberty to grab 34 in all (8 on the offensive side).

Camryn Weston ended up being a major contributor for the Blue Raiders in the game. He buried 7 of 14 in this game giving him a field goal percentage of 50.0%, and tallied 4 rebounds. He scored 16 points in his 26 mins of playing time and had 2 assists for the contest.

MTSU has a record of 10-5 this season. On the offensive side of the court, the Blue Raiders are hitting on 45.6% from the field, which is ranked 158th in college. MTSU has earned 1,170 pts so far this season (78.0 per game) and they average 39.7 rebounds per game. They are assisting teammates 11.5 times per game (328th in college) and they turn the ball over 11.3 times per contest. The Blue Raiders are committing 18.1 fouls per game and they shoot 67.5% from the charity stripe.

The MTSU defense surrenders 27.6% on shots from distance (92 of 333) and opponents are knocking down 74.2% of their free throw attempts. They give up 13.1 dimes and 34.8 boards per game, which ranks them 196th and 209th in college. The Blue Raiders on the defensive end are ranked 184th in college in PPG given up with 71.1. They are able to force 12.3 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 42.2% from the field (131st in college hoops).

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Kennesaw State

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here