Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs MTSU Blue Raiders Prediction, 1/31/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers vs MTSU Blue Raiders

Date: Saturday, January 31, 2026

Location: Murphy Center in Murfreesboro, TN

TV: ESPN+

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (11-10) are en route to Murphy Center on Saturday where they will try to defeat the MTSU Blue Raiders (11-8).

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers took the court against Kennesaw State and walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 72-69 in their last contest. In the matter of fouls, the Hilltoppers finished with 22 and Kennesaw State totaled 20 fouls. They knocked down 7 of 16 tries from long range. Kennesaw State finished shooting 63.3% at the free throw line by burying 19 of 30 attempts. Moreover, Kennesaw State pulled down 37 rebounds (10 offensive, 27 defensive), but wasn't able to put a block in the stat sheet. Kennesaw State earned 9 assists and had 6 steals in the game. Pertaining to defense, Western Kentucky allowed the other team to shoot 43.4% from the floor on 23 out of 53 shooting. They also doled out 10 assists for the matchup while creating 13 turnovers and earning 7 steals. In regard to hauling in boards, they collected 34 with 12 of them being of the offensive variety. From the charity stripe, the Hilltoppers made 22 of 25 attempts for a percentage of 88.0%. Western Kentucky wrapped up the contest having earned a 29.0% FG percentage (20 of 69) and buried 7 of their 29 shots from downtown.

Grant Newell is one guy who was a major contributor for this game. He walked away from this one shooting 26.7% from the floor but didn't record a dime. He saw the court for 25 minutes played and also totaled 5 boards. He ended up scoring 15 points on 4 out of 15 shooting.

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Western Kentucky enters this matchup with a mark of 11-10 so far this year. They turn it over 10.7 times per game and as a squad they are committing 19.5 fouls per contest. As a unit, Western Kentucky is collecting 41.2 boards per game and has accounted for 268 dimes for the campaign, which ranks 266th in Division 1 in terms of passing. The Hilltoppers are shooting 33.1% from downtown (174 of 526) and 74.1% from the charity stripe. They average 78.3 pts per contest (138th in college) on 40.0% from the floor.

On defense, the Hilltoppers are able to force 12.9 turnovers per game while drawing 18.9 personal fouls. They are giving up 35.4% from beyond the arc and they rank 229th in Division 1 in opponents PPG (75.5). The Hilltoppers are giving up a field goal percentage of 42.1% (518 of 1,229) and they surrender 38.3 rebounds per contest as a unit. They rank 286th in Division 1 in allowing assists to the opposition with 311 surrendered this season.

When they last played, the MTSU Blue Raiders took a defeat with a final score of 75-58 when they faced Jacksonville State. The Blue Raiders snagged 19 defensive boards and 6 offensive boards for a total of 25 for the matchup. They gave up possession of the ball 7 times, while earning 3 steals in the matchup. Jacksonville State was called for 13 personal fouls for the contest which took the Blue Raiders to the free throw line for a total of 14 tries. They were able to bury 8 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 57.1%. In relation to shooting from downtown, MTSU made 8 out of 23 attempts (34.8%). In all, the Blue Raiders shot 21 out of 55 from the field which gave them a percentage of 38.2%. The Blue Raiders permitted Jacksonville State to make 25 out of their 51 attempts from the field which gave them a percentage of 49.0% for the contest. They finished 60.0% from distance via 9 out of 15 and ended up going 16 of 19 at the charity stripe (84.2%). Regarding rebounding, MTSU permitted Jacksonville State to pull down 31 in total (6 on the offensive glass).

Kamari Lands pitched in for the Blue Raiders in this game. He made 4 out of 13 in this matchup giving him a rate of 30.8%, and had 3 rebounds. He tallied 15 points in his 34 minutes on the hardwood and added 3 dimes for the game.

MTSU has a mark of 11-8 so far this year. When it comes to offensive execution, the Blue Raiders are shooting 44.2% from the floor, which ranks 252nd in college. MTSU has earned 1,419 points so far this season (74.7 per contest) and they pull in 36.8 boards per game. They are getting an assist 14.3 times per game (174th in D-1) and they turn the ball over 11.5 times per contest. The Blue Raiders are committing 17.8 personal fouls every game and they connect on 68.7% from the free throw line.

The MTSU defense allows 30.1% from downtown (112 of 372) and their opponents are connecting on 71.9% of their free throw shots. They relinquish 11.7 dimes and 35.6 boards every game, which has them ranked 63rd and 256th in those categories on the defensive end. The Blue Raiders on the defensive side of the court are 88th in D-1 in PPG allowed with 70.1. They have forced 11.6 turnovers on a nightly basis and have allowed teams to shoot 42.3% from the floor (95th in the country).

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Western Kentucky

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