| MATCHUP | Missouri State Bears | Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 10-7 | 10-7 |
| Where | Murphy Center, Murfreesboro, TN | |
| When | Saturday, January 17, 2026 | |
| Time | 06:00 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
The Missouri State Bears and the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders meet Saturday in college basketball action from Murphy Center in Murfreesboro. Here’s a Missouri State vs Middle Tennessee prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Murray State vs Middle Tennessee pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.
Missouri State Bears Betting Preview
The Bears managed a 4-5 record over their first nine games of the season, losing to Arkansas State, TX-Arlington, Long Island U, Tulsa and Xavier. After wins over Oral Roberts, Lindenwood, Delaware, UTEP and New Mexico State, Missouri State has since hit a 1-2 run with losses to Kennesaw State and Western Kentucky. Over the first 17 games of the year that gives the Bears a 10-7 record so far.
In the Wednesday game versus Western Kentucky, the Bears entered the second half with a 41-34 deficit. Missouri State didn’t end up getting any closer than that on a 46-38 run from there and took the road loss in the end 87-72. Keith Palek led the team’s scoring with 24 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Michael Osei-Bonsu added 13 points with seven rebounds. Trey Williams had 12 points as well.
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Betting Preview
Over on the Middle Tennessee side, they logged a 5-4 run over their first nine games. Those losses were to Michigan, George Washington, McNeese and Belmont. The Blue Raiders are 5-3 in the last eight games since then with wins over Kennesaw State, Cumberland TN, LA Tech, Sam Houston and New Mexico State. In 17 games so far the Blue Raiders also have a 10-7 record in the books.
Matched up against LA Tech on Wednesday, Middle Tennessee was in the locker room sitting on a 40-21 advantage. The Blue Raiders were outscored 38-18 the rest of the way however, resulting in a tough road loss 59-58 in the end. Kamari Lands topped the team with 13 points, six boards and five assists while Jahvin Carter put up 12 points with three rebounds and two assists.
Missouri State Bears @ Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Betting Trends: January 17, 2026
Why the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders will win
- Middle Tennessee has won each of its last seven home day games against the Conference USA.
- Missouri State has lost three of its last four road games against Conference opponents.
Why the Missouri State Bears will win
- Missouri State has won each of its last four day games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Missouri State vs Middle Tennessee Prediction
I’ll take a stab on Middle Tennessee, but you could call it either way. The Raiders really need a good bounce-back effort here after a rough second-half implosion in a road loss to LA Tech this week. MTSU ended up with just 38.9 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent (9-of-18) from the line alongside a 38-26 deficit on points in the paint and 12 turnovers in that one. That gives the Raiders a 1-2 record in their last three, and they’ve finished below 60 points in consecutive games now.
As for Missouri State, they gave up 50.9 percent shooting to Western Kentucky in their latest loss while shooting 42.1 percent from the field themselves. The Bears also got outscored 38-28 in the paint and had a 31-26 rebounding disadvantage. Missouri State is also 1-2 in their last three games but they’re scoring much better than the Raiders lately. This one will be interesting.