The lone unbeaten Division I team puts its record on the line when Miami (OH) visits Western Michigan in Friday’s Mid-American Conference matchup.
Miami (28-0, 15-0) is coming off Tuesday’s 74-64 win at Eastern Michigan. The RedHawks were able to win despite an uncharacteristically poor shooting night from beyond the arc. Miami shot just 5-of-28 from three-point range (.178). Eastern Michigan was 7-for-22 (.318). The RedHawks dominated in points in the paint, with a 40-26 advantage, and enjoyed a 20-5 edge in points off turnovers.
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Brant Byers, a 6-foot-8 redshirt sophomore, led Miami with 16 points, although he had a rare off-shooting night, going 6-for-18 (.333) from the field and 2-for-9 (.222) from three-point range. Byers leads Miami in scoring (14.6 PPG) and is shooting .488 from the field and .399 from three-point range.
Western Michigan (10-18, 4-11) snapped a two-game losing streak with Tuesday’s 88-79 win at Ball State. A season-high five players scored in double figures, led by 6-foot-3 freshman Carson Vis and 6-foot-4 redshirt senior Justice Williams, who each scored 17 points.
Miami (OH) at Western Michigan Odds
As of this writing, Miami is a 12.5-point college basketball betting favorite on BetMGM.
The Over/Under is 163.5 points.
Miami (OH) at Western Michigan On TV
Tipoff for Miami at Western Michigan is expected to start shortly after 6 p.m. ET.
The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
Miami (OH) at Western Michigan Prediction
While it is a big number, I like Miami to cover. The RedHawks are 12-0 on the road, while Western Michigan is 7-6 at home.
This is a rematch from Jan. 6 when Miami won an 87-76 home decision. In that game, Miami shot 27-for-54 from the field (.500), but only 6-for-26 (.231) from three-point range. Even though Miami didn’t shoot well from distance against Western Michigan the first time, or in the Eastern Michigan win on Tuesday, the RedHawks are a good shooting team from distance.
In fact, Miami leads the Mid-American Conference in three-point percentage (.395). Western Michigan is shooting .352. Miami is also second in the MAC in three-point shooting defense, holding teams to a .324 clip. Western Michigan is 12th, allowing teams to shoot .355.
If Miami shoots closer to its average, then the RedHawks should win in convincing fashion.
Miami is also second nationally in scoring, averaging 91.6 points per game. The RedHawks are fourth in the MAC in scoring defense (74.1 PPG). Western Michigan averages 75.1 points and allows 79.8, which is last in the 13-team MAC.
One other key is in turnover margin. Miami is second in the MAC at 2.82, while Western Michigan is 12th at -2.39. The teams are close in both free-throw shooting and rebounding. Western Michigan averages 36.3 rebounds compared to 36.0 for Miami. The RedHawks shoot .758 from the foul line, compared to .740 for the Broncos.
Miami will be looking to rebound from a subpar offensive performance, and the RedHawks are certainly capable of a scoring explosion, especially against a Western Michigan team that has had trouble defending the three-pointer.
