Murray State vs Nevada Prediction 3/18/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

Andrew Jett

4 hours ago

Mar 11, 2017; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Nevada Wolf Pack cheerleaders entertain the crowd during the Mountain West Conference Championship game between Nevada and the Colorado State Rams at Thomas and Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

MATCHUP	Murray State Racers	Nevada Wolf Pack
Team Records	20-12	22-12
Spread	+8.5 -108	-8.5 -112
Moneyline	+275	-345
Total	Over 163.5 (-108)	Under 163.5 (-112)
Where	Nevada Stadium
When	Wednesday, March 18, 2026
Time	10:00 PM EDT
TV	ESPN+

The Murray State Racers and the Nevada Wolf Pack meet Wednesday in NIT college basketball action from Lawlor Events Center. Here’s a Murray State vs Nevada prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Murray State vs Nevada 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.

Murray State Racers Betting Preview

Murray State hit a 16-3 run over their first 19 games this year, but then posted a four-game losing streak versus Drake, Northern Iowa, Illinois State and Belmont from there. A 3-1 run came next with wins over UIC, Southern Illinois and Indiana State, but since then it’s been a 1-4 record with losses to Belmont, Illinois State, Bradley and UIC for a 20-12 overall mark.

In the tournament game versus UIC back on Friday the Racers came back out onto the floor for the second half with a pretty ugly 50-32 deficit. Murray State got slightly better from there on a 47-42 run but still ended up taking the loss 92-79. Leading the team in scoring was Javon Jackson with 30 points, two rebounds and two assists while Mason Miller and 12 points with three rebounds.

Nevada Wolf Pack Betting Preview

Over on the Nevada side, they were 16-6 through their first 22 games at the end of January this season. The Wolf Pack lost three of the next four outings versus Boise State, San Diego State and San Jose State, though. Nevada closed out the regular season on a 3-2 run with wins over Utah State, New Mexico and Air Force then beat Air Force and Grand Canyon ahead of a loss to Utah State.

Matched up against the Aggies last Friday the Wolf Pack were sitting in the locker room at the break with a 39-32 disadvantage on the scoreboard. Nevada didn’t end up getting any closer than that on a 40-34 second half and limped to the loss 79-66. Leading the way in the losing effort was Vaughn Weems with 17 points, nine rebounds, two steals and one assist in 34 minutes.

Murray State Racers @ Nevada Wolf Pack Betting Trends: March 18, 2026

Why the Nevada Wolf Pack will win

Nevada has won each of its last eight games at Lawlor Events Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Murray State has lost four of its last five games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Murray State has lost the first half in three of its last four games.

Why the Murray State Racers will win

Murray State has won nine of its last 12 games against non-Conference opponents.
Nevada has lost three of its last four night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Total Points Facts

Twenty-four of Nevada’s last 27 games at Lawlor Events Center have produced a total of 163 or fewer points.
Four of Murray State’s last five night games have produced a total of 155 or fewer points.

Matchup/League Facts

Nevada ranks 35th among Division 1 teams for turnovers per game this season (9.8).
Nevada ranks 39th among Division 1 teams for turnover percentage this season (12.6%).
Murray State ranks 32nd among Division 1 teams for pace this season (71.4).
Murray State ranks T34th among Division 1 teams for free throws made per game this season (18.0).

Murray State vs Nevada Prediction

I’ll lean toward Nevada. The Wolf Pack had a decent showing in the Mountain West Tournament before getting bounced by a good Utah State team. In that loss Nevada shot just 40.7 percent from the field with 10 turnovers and a 40-34 deficit on points in the paint. The Wolf Pack have won three of their last four games (two against Air Force, granted), scoring 74 or more points in the three wins.

As for Murray State, they shot just 36.5 percent from the field in their loss to UIC while giving up 54 percent shooting on defense. The Racers were demolished in the paint 50-26 and shot a very tepid 69.2 percent (27-of-39) from the line but otherwise didn’t play too badly in the defeat. That makes five losses in the last seven games for the Racers; they’ve given up 72 or more points in all seven of those outings as well.