Murray State, the lone team unbeaten in Missouri Valley Conference play, looks for its second win of the season over host Drake when the two meet on Wednesday.
These teams met on Dec. 18 when Murray State earned an 81-72 home win over Drake.
Murray State (16-3, 8-0) is seeking its ninth consecutive win. Drake (9-10, 3-5) has lost three of its last four games following Saturday’s 74-64 loss at UIC. The difference was at the foul line. UIC shot 24-for-38 (.632) while Drake was 10-for-18 (.566).
In the first meeting between these two teams, Fred King, a 6-foot-9 transfer from Creighton, had 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Murray State victory. A key in the first meeting was three-point shooting. Drake shot just 3-for-16 from three-point range (.188), while Murray State was 9-for-26 (.346).
Murray State is coming off Saturday’s 85-81 home win over Indiana State. Javon Jackson, a 6-foot-3 senior transfer from UIC, scored 21 points while King contributed 14 points and 13 rebounds.
Murray State at Drake Odds
As of this writing, Murray State is a 5.5-point college basketball betting favorite via BetMGM.
The Over/Under is at 157.5.
Murray State at Drake On TV
Tipoff for Murray State at Drake is shortly after 6 p.m. CT.
The game will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
Murray State at Drake Prediction
I like Murray State to cover. The Racers are better in so many offensive areas.
The team that controls the tempo will likely be the winner. Through Monday, Murray State was ranked 23rd nationally in adjusted tempo (possessions per 40 minutes) at 72.2, according to KenPom.com. Drake ranked 252nd with an adjusted temple of 66.4. Murray State averages 11.37 fastbreak points per game while Drake averages 8.79.
Murray State leads the MVC in scoring, averaging 87.9 points per game, which is 22nd nationally. The Racers, however, are last in the MVC in scoring defense, allowing 77.3 PPG. Drake is seventh in the MVC in scoring offense (75.9 PPG) and sixth in scoring defense (71.6).
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Drake is shooting .357 from distance, fourth in the MVC and two slots behind Murray State (.373).
Murray State also has an advantage at the foul line. The Racers are shooting .760, which leads the MVC, while Drake is .710.
Jalen Quinn, a 6-foot-3 senior, leads Drake in scoring (17.3), assists (3.4), and steals (1.2).
Jackson leads Murray State in scoring (17.3) while King averages 12.8 points and 8.7 rebounds.
