Western Kentucky (22-7, 14-2) at Middle Tennessee State (23-5, 15-1)
When: Thursday, March 1st 2018
Where: Murphy Athletic Center, Murfreesboro, TN
Time: 8:00 ET | TV: CBS Sports Network
Opening Odds: Middle Tenn State -3.5/145
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The Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders have a chance to clinch their second consecutive Conference USA regular season title when they host the second place Western Kentucky Hilltoppers on Thursday night. The Blue Raiders have cracked the national rankings (23rd) by winning 10 straight games, a streak that began with a 66-62 win at Western Kentucky on January 20th and are coming off an easy 79-54 win over UAB on Saturday. Western Kentucky has won six in a row while averaging 87.7 points and trails Middle Tennessee by one game with two to play. The Hilltoppers completed their home schedule by routing Old Dominion 88-66 on Saturday behind 20 points from Taveion Hollingsworth. Western Kentucky has shot at least 55% from the floor in five straight games, the program’s longest such stretch since 1979. This has been a one-sided series over the last several years with Middle Tennessee taking 12 of the last 14 meetings.
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Justin Johnson had 19 points and 11 rebounds in the Hilltoppers win over the Monarchs last time out for his 10th double-double, and he is tied for the team lead in scoring (14.8 points per game) with fellow senior Darius Thompson, who leads the team with 4.9 assists per game. Freshman Hollingsworth is coming into his own and will be leading this team over the next few seasons – hit the 20-point mark for the fourth time in his last seven games and is shooting 50% for the season after going 8-for-13 on Saturday. Dwight Coleby, who ranks second on the team to Johnson with nine double-doubles, led the Hilltoppers with 19 points in the loss to the Blue Raiders earlier this season.
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Nick King led Middle Tennessee on Saturday with 22 points and he ranks second in the conference in scoring (21.5), including 24.8 over the last four games. King had 28 points and nine rebounds in the first meeting with the Hilltoppers. Giddy Potts drained 5-of-9 from 3-point range in the win and is posting an average of 16.2 points over a five-game stretch. Antwain Johnson, who is third behind King and Potts on the team scoring list at 10.2 per game, is a sizzling 19-for-30 from long range over a span of seven games after going 17-for-57 to start the season.
The Blue Raiders are tough to beat at home and they’ve owned this series of late, losing just once since 2012. Middle Tennessee is a legit NCAA Tournament team and they will prove that tonight with a C-USA crown.
Pick: Middle Tenn State -4
- Hilltoppers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up win.
- Hilltoppers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall.
- Hilltoppers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. Conference USA.
- Hilltoppers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Thursday games.
- Hilltoppers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Hilltoppers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Hilltoppers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win.
- Hilltoppers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Hilltoppers are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 road games.
- Hilltoppers are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Blue Raiders are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
- Blue Raiders are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Blue Raiders are 19-8 ATS in their last 27 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Blue Raiders are 28-12 ATS in their last 40 vs. Conference USA.
- Blue Raiders are 36-16 ATS in their last 52 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Blue Raiders are 13-6 ATS in their last 19 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
- Blue Raiders are 44-21-1 ATS in their last 66 home games.
- Blue Raiders are 35-17 ATS in their last 52 games following a ATS win.
- Blue Raiders are 37-18 ATS in their last 55 games overall.
- Over is 4-1 in Hilltoppers last 5 overall.
- Over is 4-1 in Hilltoppers last 5 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 4-1 in Hilltoppers last 5 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
- Over is 4-1 in Hilltoppers last 5 vs. Conference USA.
- Under is 3-1-1 in Hilltoppers last 5 Thursday games.
- Over is 5-2 in Hilltoppers last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 5-2 in Hilltoppers last 7 games following a ATS win.
- Over is 5-2 in Hilltoppers last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Under is 11-5-2 in Hilltoppers last 18 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Under is 4-0 in Blue Raiders last 4 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points.
- Under is 7-1 in Blue Raiders last 8 Thursday games.
- Under is 13-3 in Blue Raiders last 16 games following a ATS win.
- Under is 8-2 in Blue Raiders last 10 home games.
- Under is 13-4 in Blue Raiders last 17 vs. Conference USA.
- Under is 16-5 in Blue Raiders last 21 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Under is 16-5 in Blue Raiders last 21 games following a straight up win.
- Under is 16-5 in Blue Raiders last 21 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Under is 19-7 in Blue Raiders last 26 overall.
- Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Middle Tennessee St..
- Under is 19-9 in the last 28 meetings.
- Hilltoppers are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings.
- Road team is 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
