Bradley Braves vs Murray State Racers Prediction, 1/4/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Bradley Braves vs Murray State Racers

Date: Sunday, January 4, 2026

Location: CFSB Center in Murray, KY

TV: ESPN+

The Bradley Braves (10-4) are on their way to CFSB Center on Sunday where they will attempt to defeat the Murray State Racers (11-3).

The Bradley Braves took the court against Evansville and took home the win by a score of 76-68 in their last game. Bradley finished the game with a 40.6% FG percentage (26 out of 64) and converted 7 out of their 22 3-point shots. When they shot from the free throw line, the Braves made 17 of their 21 tries for a rate of 81.0%. When discussing pulling down boards, they earned 40 with 11 of them being of the offensive sort. They also doled out 11 assists for the matchup as well as forcing the opposition into 11 turnovers and getting 6 steals. In reference to the defense, Bradley allowed the other team to shoot 40.3% from the floor on 25 out of 62 shooting. Evansville earned 13 dimes and had 4 steals in this game. In addition, Evansville collected 36 boards (9 offensive, 27 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. Evansville finished shooting 71.4% at the free throw line by making 10 of 14 attempts. They made 8 of their 22 shots from downtown. Regarding fouls, the Braves left the arena with 17 while Evansville totaled 17 fouls.

Jaquan Johnson is someone who was a factor in the game. He ended up with 22 points on 6 out of 12 shooting. He played 32 minutes played and also collected 5 rebounds. He finished the game shooting 50.0% from the floor and also totaled 5 assists.

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Bradley heads into this matchup with a win-loss record of 10-4 on the campaign. They currently have an average of 78.3 points per game (169th in Division 1) while shooting 44.1% from the floor. The Braves are connecting on 34.1% on 3-pointers (122 of 358) and 73.2% from the free throw line. As a team, Bradley is pulling down 35.0 boards per contest and has earned 185 dimes for the season, which has them ranked 235th in the country in terms of passing the ball. They lose possession by turning the ball over 10.3 times per game and as a unit they commit 18.4 fouls every game.

On the defensive end, the Braves are able to force 16.4 turnovers per game and they draw 18.1 personal fouls. They relinquish 34.2% on shots from beyond the perimeter while they are 98th in college in points per game allowed (69.4). The Braves are giving up a shooting percentage of 42.8% (329 of 769) and they relinquish 36.6 rebounds per game as a team. They are currently ranked 145th in college in allowing assists to the opposition with 173 surrendered this season.

In their last game, the Murray State Racers went home victorious with a score of 84-81 when they played Southern Illinois. The Racers pulled down 25 defensive boards and 7 offensive rebounds for a total of 32 for this game. They also gave up possession of the ball 13 times, while earning 8 steals in the game. Southern Illinois committed 22 personal fouls in this game which got the Racers to the free throw line for a total of 21 shots. They were able to knock down 16 of the free throw tries for a rate of 76.2%. With regard to 3-point shots, Murray State buried 10 of their 27 tries (37.0%). In all, the Racers went 29 out of 57 from the field which gave them a percentage of 50.9%. The Racers allowed Southern Illinois to make 33 of their 68 tries from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 48.5% in this game. They finished the game shooting 37.5% from 3-point land via 3 out of 8 and walked away from this one shooting 12 of 17 at the free throw line (70.6%). When talking about rebounds, Murray State allowed Southern Illinois to get 34 in total (12 on the offensive glass).

Javon Jackson was important for the Racers for the contest. He earned 19 points in his 23 minutes on the court and tallied 2 dimes for this contest. He buried 6 out of 11 in this game giving him a rate of 54.5%, and totaled 3 rebounds.

Murray State has a win-loss record of 11-3 for the year. The Racers are responsible for committing 18.9 personal fouls every game and they shoot 75.7% from the free throw line. They are assisting teammates 15.9 times per game (108th in the nation) and they turn the ball over 12.4 times per contest. Murray State has totaled 1,245 pts for the year (88.9 per contest) and they grab 38.1 boards per game. As an offense, the Racers are connecting on 48.3% from the floor, which ranks them 70th in college.

The Racers are ranked 299th in college in PPG surrendered with 78.3. They are forcing their opponents into 12.1 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 45.2% from the field (274th in the country). The Murray State defense gives up 32.6% from downtown (72 of 221) and opponents are connecting on 73.0% of their foul shots. They have relinquished 11.7 dimes and 34.8 boards on a nightly basis, ranking them 66th and 197th in college.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Murray State

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