Western Kentucky vs Middle Tennessee Prediction 1/31/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders meet Saturday in college basketball action from Murphy Center in Murfreesboro. Here’s a Western Kentucky vs Middle Tennessee prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Western Kentucky 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.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Betting Preview

This year the Hilltoppers opened up on a 6-2 run with losses to Vanderbilt and South Florida. Western Kentucky would lose to Marshall, Tulsa and Jacksonville State over the next four games, however. After a 4-1 stretch that featured a lone loss to New Mexico State, WKU lost to Kennesaw State, Liberty and Sam Houston in the next four games, giving the team an 11-9 run through the first 20 outings.

On Wednesday versus Kennesaw State, the Hilltoppers were down by one point 37-36 by the end of the first half. Western Kentucky was outscored 35-33 the rest of the way and didn’t end up getting any closer on the way to a 72-69 loss on the road. Topping the scorers was Grant Newell with 15 points and five rebounds while Ryan Myers put up 12 points with two rebounds.

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Betting Preview

Over on the Middle Tennessee side, they were barely able to keep their heads above the .500 mark across their first nine games, going 5-4 in that time. The Raiders would hit a 4-1 run in the next five though, losing to only Houston during that quintet. A 2-3 stretch ensued after that featuring losses to UTEP, LA Tech and Jacksonville State. Over 19 games that would give the Raiders an 11-8 overall run.

Matched up against Liberty on Thursday, the Blue Raiders were outscored pretty badly 43-29 in the first half. Middle Tennessee didn’t end up getting any closer than that, riding a 38-36 deficit in the second on the way to a loss at home 81-65 in the end. Torey Alston put up 20 points with 12 rebounds while Sean Smith added 19 points with three boards and three assists.

Western Kentucky Hilltoppers @ Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Betting Trends: January 31, 2026

Why the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders will win

• Middle Tennessee has won each of its last eight home day games against the Conference USA.
• Western Kentucky has lost each of its last four games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Middle Tennessee has won the first half in each of its last six Saturday day home games against the Conference USA.

Why the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers will win

• Middle Tennessee has lost three of its last four games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Western Kentucky has won three of its last four day games at Charles M. Murphy Athletic Center.

Western Kentucky vs Middle Tennessee Prediction

I’ll lean toward Western Kentucky, but this one’s a coin flip. The Hilltoppers need a good bounce-back following a loss to Kennesaw State this week too. WKU shot a miserable 29 percent from the field in that one with a 30-22 deficit on points in the paint. The free throw shooting (22-of-25 for 88 percent) was good though, and Western Kentucky had just six turnovers. that makes four straight losses for the Hilltoppers, who have failed to hit 70 points in any of those games.

As for Middle Tennessee, they gave up a whopping 61.5 percent shooting from the field and 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from outside in their loss to Liberty, along with a 31-22 rebounding disadvantage. The Raiders have lost consecutive games now, scoring fewer than 66 points in both of those defeats.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Western Kentucky Hilltoppers +7.5