MTSU Blue Raiders vs FIU Panthers Prediction, 3/5/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: MTSU Blue Raiders vs FIU Panthers

Date: Thursday, March 5, 2026

Location: Ocean Bank Convocation Center in Miami, FL

TV: ESPN+

The FIU Panthers (14-15) will take on the MTSU Blue Raiders (15-14) at Ocean Bank Convocation Center on Thursday.

The MTSU Blue Raiders took the court against New Mexico State and took home the win by a score of 86-85 in their last game. MTSU walked away from the game having earned a 50.9% field goal percentage (29 out of 57) and made 7 out of their 22 shots from beyond the perimeter. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Blue Raiders converted 21 of their 27 shots for a rate of 77.8%. Pertaining to getting rebounds, they collected 34 with 9 of them being offensive. They also recorded 11 dimes for this contest while creating 7 turnovers and earning 3 steals. Pertaining to the defense, MTSU allowed 44.6% from the field on 33 of 74 shooting. New Mexico State earned 10 dimes and had 9 steals in this contest. Furthermore, New Mexico State collected 32 rebounds (14 offensive, 18 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. New Mexico State went 75.0% at the charity stripe by converting 12 of 16 tries. They also buried 7 of their 25 shots from beyond the arc. With respect to personal fouls, the Blue Raiders walked away with 14 while New Mexico State had 21 personal fouls.

Jahvin Carter is one player who came through in this matchup. He finished the contest at 58.8% from the field and earned 7 assists. He saw the court for 33 minutes played and also grabbed 3 boards. He was able to score 27 points on 10 out of 17 shooting.

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MTSU will play this contest with a mark of 15-14 for the year. They turn it over 11.3 times per game and as a group they are committing 17.1 fouls on a nightly basis. As a team, MTSU is collecting 36.4 boards per game and has earned 414 dimes so far this year, which has them ranked 199th in Division 1 in terms of passing the ball. The Blue Raiders are shooting 33.6% from downtown (267 of 795) and 69.6% from the free throw line. They are averaging 75.8 pts per game (179th in the country) while connecting on 44.7% from the field.

When they are on defense, the Blue Raiders are able to force 11.1 turnovers per contest and they draw 15.7 personal fouls. They are ranked 41st in Division 1 in giving up assists to their opponents with 342 conceded so far this year. The Blue Raiders defense is allowing an opponent FG percentage of 44.1% (742 of 1,681) and they concede 34.2 rebounds per game as a team. They surrender 33.0% from beyond the arc and they are ranked 158th in college hoops in points per game allowed (73.1).

When they last played, the FIU Panthers took home the win by a final score of 84-76 when they faced Louisiana Tech. The Panthers were able to corral 16 defensive rebounds and 7 offensive rebounds totaling 23 in this contest. They also turned the ball over 14 times, while getting 7 steals for the matchup. Louisiana Tech committed 22 personal fouls in this contest which got the Panthers to the free throw line for a total of 27 attempts. They were able to make 21 of them for a rate of 77.8%. In reference to shooting from 3-point land, FIU knocked down 13 of their 23 attempts (56.5%). When this game wrapped up, the Panthers shot 25 out of 53 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 47.2%. The Panthers permitted Louisiana Tech to knock down 25 out of 53 attempts from the floor which gave them a percentage of 47.2% for this game. They finished 38.9% from downtown by going 7 out of 18 and ended up shooting 19 of 26 from the free throw line (73.1%). In relation to rebounding, FIU permitted Louisiana Tech to collect 28 in all (11 on the offensive glass).

Corey Stephenson was important for the Panthers in this matchup. He converted 7 of 14 for the game for a field goal percentage of 50.0%, and added 3 rebounds. He earned 21 points in his 37 minutes on the court and accumulated 2 dimes for the game.

FIU has a record of 14-15 for the year. When it comes to executing on offense, the Panthers are shooting 45.5% from the field, which ranks them 170th in college. FIU has tallied 2,349 pts on the campaign (81.0 per contest) and they snag 37.6 rebounds per contest. They are dishing out assists 15.1 times per game (109th in D-1) and they cough up possession 12.9 times per contest. The Panthers are committing 18.0 fouls per game and they hit 69.2% from the free throw line.

The Panthers on the defensive end are ranked 304th in college hoops in points allowed per game with 78.5. They are forcing 15.3 turnovers per game and have let teams shoot 43.5% from the floor (136th in college). The FIU defense surrenders 35.5% from downtown (281 of 792) and their opposition makes 71.2% of their foul shots. They have relinquished 16.6 assists and 37.2 total rebounds per game, which is 349th and 330th in Division 1.

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take MTSU

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