Murray State Racers vs Evansville Purple Aces Prediction, 1/7/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Murray State Racers vs Evansville Purple Aces

Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Location: Ford Center in Evansville, IN

TV: ESPN+

Ford Center is the location where the Evansville Purple Aces (4-12) will take on the Murray State Racers (13-3) on Wednesday.

The Murray State Racers faced Bradley and earned the victory with a final of 86-66 in their last game. Murray State ended the contest having earned a 50.8% FG percentage (30 of 59) and buried 13 of 30 shots from downtown. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Racers knocked down 13 of 14 attempts for a rate of 92.9%. Concerning hauling in boards, they earned 43 with 8 of them being on the offensive end. They also distributed 15 assists in addition to forcing 2 turnovers, but didn't have a steal. In terms of defense, Murray State allowed the other team to go 32.9% from the floor on 23 out of 70 shooting. Bradley dished out 8 assists and had 5 steals in this matchup. In addition, Bradley had 28 rebounds (11 offensive, 17 defensive), but wasn't able to record a rejection. Bradley ended up going 81.3% from the free throw line by making 13 of their 16 attempts. They also converted 7 of their 18 attempts from distance. Regarding fouls, the Racers ended up walking away with 14 and Bradley had 15 fouls.

Javon Jackson is one guy who was a factor in this contest. He walked away from this one shooting 70.0% from the floor and recorded 4 assists. He was on the court for 24 minutes played and also totaled 3 boards. He accounted for 20 points on 7 out of 10 shooting.

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Murray State heads into this matchup with a record of 13-3 for the year. They have an average of 88.3 pts per game (27th in the country) while hitting 47.9% from the field. The Racers are connecting on 37.7% on three-point attempts (170 of 451) and 76.9% from the free throw line. As a team, Murray State is pulling down 38.7 rebounds per game and has accumulated 254 dimes so far this season, which has them ranked 55th in Division 1 in terms of passing the ball. They are turning it over 12.4 times per contest and as a team they commit 18.6 personal fouls per game.

On defense, the Racers are able to force 11.8 turnovers per contest and they draw 20.6 fouls. They are conceding 33.1% from beyond the arc and they are 281st in Division 1 in points per game from their opponents (77.4). The Racers are giving up a field goal percentage of 44.1% (461 of 1,045) and they surrender 35.1 rebounds per contest as a team. They are 123rd in D-1 in allowing assists to the opposition with 186 relinquished for the campaign.

The last time they took the hardwood, the Evansville Purple Aces walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 62-48 when they faced UNI. The Purple Aces collected 23 defensive rebounds and 0 offensive rebounds totaling 23 for the matchup. They also coughed up the ball 15 times, while earning 8 steals for the game. UNI committed 16 fouls for the game which got the Purple Aces to the charity stripe for a total of 13 attempts. They were able to bury 9 of those for a clip of 69.2%. In reference to shots from downtown, Evansville knocked down 1 out of 14 attempts (7.1%). When the final whistle blew, the Purple Aces walked away from this one shooting 19 out of 45 from the floor which had them sitting at 42.2%. The Purple Aces allowed UNI to bury 22 out of their 48 tries from the field which gave them a percentage of 45.8% for the game. They finished 45.8% from three-point range via 11 of 24 and walked away from this one shooting 7 of 11 from the free throw line (63.6%). With respect to rebounding, Evansville permitted UNI to collect 29 in all (5 on the offensive side).

AJ Casey ended up having an impact for the Purple Aces for the contest. He tallied 17 points in his 32 minutes on the court, but wasn't able to notch an assist. He made 7 of 9 in this matchup for a field goal rate of 77.8%, and totaled 5 rebounds.

Evansville has a mark of 4-12 for the season. When it comes to offense, the Purple Aces are connecting on 41.3% from the field, which is ranked 331st in the nation. Evansville has totaled 1,065 points on the season (66.6 per contest) and they grab 33.8 rebounds per game. They are assisting teammates 13.1 times per game (275th in the nation) and they are giving up possession 13.4 times per contest. The Purple Aces commit 16.8 fouls every game and they hit 70.7% from the free throw line.

The Purple Aces on defense are ranked 157th in college in PPG given up with 72.4. They have forced 12.5 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 43.9% from the floor (210th in college hoops). The Evansville defense gives up 37.2% on 3-point shots (140 of 376) and opponents are connecting on 73.2% of their free throw shots. They have conceded 13.3 assists and 35.5 total boards per game, which has them ranked 181st and 241st in those defensive categories.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Evansville

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