Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (18-13) vs Charlotte 49ers (18-13)
Game Info: Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 7:00 pm (Ford Center at The Star)
Betting Odds: Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders -1 -- Over/Under: 127 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Charlotte 49ers and the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders will meet in Frisco to face off in the quarterfinals of the Conference USA Championship at the Ford Center on ESPN+.
Charlotte fell to 18-13 after losing to UAB in the Queen City. The 49ers and the Blazers battled it out in an overtime shootout, and Birmingham would hand them a two-point loss, 93-91. Charlotte is scoring 66.8 points per game, while allowing 62.6 ppg, and shooting 46.8% from the floor.
Charlotte dropped their last two games, and they’ll look to respond here at home in the tournament. The 49ers have leaned on a rugged defensive approach, with Brice Williams leading the way offensively. The junior guard went off for a season-high 32 points in the finale against UAB, and he leads the Niners in scoring (13.5). Sophomore Aly Khalifa scored 27 points against UTSA last week, and he’s averaging 11.8 ppg and a team-lead 6.5 rpg.
Middle Tennessee moved to 18-13 after losing to UTEP in El Paso. The Blue Raiders fell victim to the Texas-Two Step and fell to the Miners by twelve points, 77-65. MTSU is scoring 70.4 points per game, while allowing 67.8 ppg, and shooting 45.5% from the floor.
Middle Tennessee also dropped their set two games, but they’ve been one of more consistent teams in Conference USA this season. Junior guard Eli Lawrence finished as the Raiders’ leading scorer (12.3) after reaching double figures in seven of the last ten games. Fifth-year forward Deandre Dishman leads the team in rebounding (5.5), while scoring 10.3 ppg.
Charlotte is 19-12 against the spread this season, with a 11-16-4 over/under record. MTSU is 14-15 ATS this year, with a 16-11-2 o/u record.
Two of the stronger defenses in the conference will face off in this first round matchup, and it could turn into a slugfest. Neither school tends to score at a high rate, and the opening total reflects that. It’s tough to get behind either team offensively, so while it may be a sweat, I like buying into the defensive battle, and taking the under for this Conference USA battle.
Corey’s Pick Under 127
AUTHOR: Corey Ghee
Mitch's Take...
