PREMIUM
3-Game NCAAB SWEEPER PASS
(NCAAB) Western Kentucky vs. Middle Tennessee,
Point Spread: -4.00 | -108.00 Middle Tennessee (Home)
Result: Win
Point Spread: -4.00 | -108.00 Middle Tennessee (Home)
Result: Win
The set-up: No. 24 Middle Tennessee State entered the AP's top-25 two weeks ago, for the first time in school history. The 23-5 (15-1 in C-USA) Blue Raiders can clinch their second straight Conference USA regular-season title when they host second-place Western Kentucky (22-7, including 14-2 in C-USA play) Thursday night in Murfreesboro. The Blue Raiders have vaulted into the national rankings on the strength of a 10-game winning streak that began with a 66-62 raod win over the Hilltoppers back on Jan. 20. Western Kentucky comes in having won six in a row while averaging 87.7 PPG and trails Middle Tennessee by one game with two to play.
Western Kentucky: The Hilltoppers capped their home slate with an 88-66 triumph over Old Dominion on Saturday behind 20 points from Taveion Hollingsworth, as head coach Rick Stansbury's team has shot at least 55 percent from the floor in five straight games (it's the program's longest such stretch since 1979!). The 6-7 Justin Johnson had 19 points and 11 rebounds in the win over the Monarchs, his 10th double-double of the season. He is tied for the team lead in scoring at 14.8 PPG (also a team-high 9.4 RPG) with fellow senior, PG Darius Thompson (4.7 RPG & 4.9 APG). Hollingsworth (13.6), a freshman guard, has hit the 20-point mark in four of his last seven games and is shooting 50 percent for the season after going 8-for-13 on Saturday. The 6-9 Dwight Coleby (11.9 & 8.1) ranks second on the team to Johnson with nine double-doubles.
Middle Tennessee State: "We're proud of our ranking, proud of it for our fans and most proud for our players," chead oach Kermit Davis told reporters after Saturday's 79-54 win over UAB. "We talked about it on Monday that with more success comes more motivation and it drives you. I think it drives our team. We looked like a Top 25 team tonight and that was good to see." The 6-7 Nick King (21.5 & 8.3) led the way on Saturday with 22 points and he ranks second in the conference in scoring (21.5), including 24.8 over the last four games. Guard Giddy Potts (13.1 & 4.3) buried 5-of-9 from three-point range in the win and is posting an average of 16.2 points over a five-game stretch. Guard Antwain Johnson (10.2) is 19-for-30 from long range over a span of seven contests after going 17-for-57 to start the season. The 6-10 Walters (10.1 & 5.1) is the team's fourth double digit scorer.
The pick: MTSU has won 31 of its last 33 in C-USA play and is now generating legitimate Big Dance at-large talk. That said, the Blue Raiders would be well-advised to win the conference tourney. Kermit Davis' bunch won first showdown by four on road at WKU (back on Jan. 20) but will need a little bigger margin here, to "get the cash." Considering MTSU is 10-1 SU at home, outscoring opponents 77.4-to-60.8 PPG, I'll lay the modest points and make MTSU an 8* play.
Western Kentucky: The Hilltoppers capped their home slate with an 88-66 triumph over Old Dominion on Saturday behind 20 points from Taveion Hollingsworth, as head coach Rick Stansbury's team has shot at least 55 percent from the floor in five straight games (it's the program's longest such stretch since 1979!). The 6-7 Justin Johnson had 19 points and 11 rebounds in the win over the Monarchs, his 10th double-double of the season. He is tied for the team lead in scoring at 14.8 PPG (also a team-high 9.4 RPG) with fellow senior, PG Darius Thompson (4.7 RPG & 4.9 APG). Hollingsworth (13.6), a freshman guard, has hit the 20-point mark in four of his last seven games and is shooting 50 percent for the season after going 8-for-13 on Saturday. The 6-9 Dwight Coleby (11.9 & 8.1) ranks second on the team to Johnson with nine double-doubles.
Middle Tennessee State: "We're proud of our ranking, proud of it for our fans and most proud for our players," chead oach Kermit Davis told reporters after Saturday's 79-54 win over UAB. "We talked about it on Monday that with more success comes more motivation and it drives you. I think it drives our team. We looked like a Top 25 team tonight and that was good to see." The 6-7 Nick King (21.5 & 8.3) led the way on Saturday with 22 points and he ranks second in the conference in scoring (21.5), including 24.8 over the last four games. Guard Giddy Potts (13.1 & 4.3) buried 5-of-9 from three-point range in the win and is posting an average of 16.2 points over a five-game stretch. Guard Antwain Johnson (10.2) is 19-for-30 from long range over a span of seven contests after going 17-for-57 to start the season. The 6-10 Walters (10.1 & 5.1) is the team's fourth double digit scorer.
The pick: MTSU has won 31 of its last 33 in C-USA play and is now generating legitimate Big Dance at-large talk. That said, the Blue Raiders would be well-advised to win the conference tourney. Kermit Davis' bunch won first showdown by four on road at WKU (back on Jan. 20) but will need a little bigger margin here, to "get the cash." Considering MTSU is 10-1 SU at home, outscoring opponents 77.4-to-60.8 PPG, I'll lay the modest points and make MTSU an 8* play.
