Murray State Racers vs UNI Panthers Prediction, 1/24/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Murray State Racers vs UNI Panthers

Date: Saturday, January 24, 2026

Location: McLeod Center in Cedar Falls, IA

TV: ESPN+

McLeod Center is where the UNI Panthers (12-8) will try to defeat the Murray State Racers (16-4) on Saturday.

The Murray State Racers stepped onto the hardwood against Drake and walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 101-90 in their last game. Murray State finished with a 45.6% FG percentage (31 of 68) and converted 7 of their 32 3-point shots. At the charity stripe, the Racers knocked down 21 of their 30 shots for a percentage of 70.0%. With regard to grabbing rebounds, they earned 37 with 11 of them being offensive. They also doled out 12 dimes in this game as well as creating 9 turnovers and earning 5 steals. In reference to the defense, Murray State allowed their opponent to shoot 50.0% from the floor on 32 out of 64 shooting. Drake distributed 9 assists and had 8 steals for the contest. On top of that, Drake grabbed 42 rebounds (11 offensive, 31 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. Drake finished shooting 78.0% from the free throw line by knocking down 32 of 41 attempts. They buried 5 of their 12 tries from beyond the perimeter. In the matter of personal fouls, the Racers left the arena with 27 while Drake recorded 23 personal fouls.

Javon Jackson is a player who was a major factor for the contest. He ended up going 37.5% from the floor and recorded 2 assists. He played for 26 mins and also totaled 3 rebounds. He ended up scoring 20 points on 6 of 16 shooting.

Get all of our NCAA Picks Today

Murray State enters this game with a win-loss mark of 16-4 this year. They are turning it over 12.1 times per contest and as a squad they commit 19.0 personal fouls every game. As a unit, Murray State is snagging 38.3 boards per contest and is sitting with 306 assists for the year, which has them ranked 94th in D-1 in terms of passing. The Racers are shooting 36.4% on shots from distance (207 of 568) and 75.7% from the free throw line. They have an average of 87.9 pts per game (20th in the nation) while connecting on 47.6% from the field.

On the defensive end, the Racers are forcing 12.1 turnovers on a nightly basis and they draw 20.7 fouls. They rank 71st in college hoops in allowing assists to their opponents with 230 conceded for the year. The Racers defense is giving up a field goal percentage of 45.0% (579 of 1,286) and they surrender 35.5 rebounds per game as a team. They are giving up 33.9% on shots from beyond the perimeter and they rank 300th in college in PPG allowed (78.5).

For their last game, the UNI Panthers went home defeated by a final of 59-54 when they faced Illinois State. The Panthers pulled down 21 defensive rebounds and 6 offensive rebounds for a total of 27 for the game. They gave up possession 9 times, while getting 5 steals in the game. Illinois State was called for 14 personal fouls for this contest which took the Panthers to the charity stripe for a total of 14 tries. They were able to convert 11 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 78.6%. Regarding three-point shots, UNI knocked down 3 out of their 18 attempts (16.7%). At the conclusion of this game, the Panthers finished shooting 20 out of 57 from the floor which had them at 35.1%. The Panthers allowed Illinois State to make 18 of 48 attempts from the field which gave them a percentage of 37.5% for the game. They finished 28.0% from 3-point land via 7 of 25 and ended up shooting 16 out of 18 from the free throw line (88.9%). In relation to how they cleaned up the glass, UNI allowed Illinois State to pull down 40 in all (9 on the offensive side).

Ben Schwieger pitched in for the Panthers for the game. He made 5 out of 10 in this matchup for a field goal percentage of 50.0%, and accumulated 4 rebounds. He earned 15 points in his 31 minutes on the hardwood, but finished this game without an assist.

UNI has a record of 12-8 for the season. As an offense, the Panthers are connecting on 44.6% from the floor, which ranks 227th in college hoops. UNI has 1,342 pts this season (67.1 per contest) and they grab 33.2 rebounds per game. Their rate of assisting teammates is at 14.5 times per game (171st in the nation) and they cough up possession 9.2 times per game. The Panthers commit 15.6 fouls every game while shooting 68.2% from the charity stripe.

The UNI defense gives up 25.7% on 3-point attempts (111 of 432) and opponents are connecting on 70.4% of their foul shots. They give up 10.7 assists and 35.5 rebounds on a nightly basis, which is 18th and 238th in college. The Panthers on the defensive end are ranked 1st in college hoops in points allowed per game with 59.7. They are forcing 12.2 turnovers per game and have let teams shoot 39.6% from the floor (27th in Division 1).

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take UNI

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

Get college basketball picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.