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The 19th-ranked Murray State Racers will look to extend their winning streak to 17 games as they host the Belmont Bruins, who won 10 consecutive games heading into Thursday night.
Murray State (26-2, 16-0 Ohio Valley) is two games ahead of Belmont at the top of the conference standings with two regular season games left, and they’re coming off a 62-60 win over the UT Martin Skyhawks on Saturday. The Racers’ top player is KJ Williams, who is averaging 17.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.
Belmont (24-5, 14-2 Ohio Valley) did not keep things all that close in their previous matchup with Murray State last month as they lost 82-60 at home. The Bruins are coming off an 11-point victory over the SIU Edwardsville Cougars on Saturday, and their top scorer is Nick Muszynski, who’s putting up 16.4 points per game.
How to watch Belmont vs. Murray State
When: Thursday, February 24, 9:00 p.m. ET
Where: CFSB Center, Murray, KY
TV: ESPNU
Where to live stream online: WatchESPN, ESPN app
Live updates and stats: At DraftKings Sportsbook
Odds
Spread: Murray State -3.5
Total: 144
The Pick
Under 144
It’s tough to handicap these two programs with plenty of days off in between games and such a long streak of victories, so we’ll stick with the total. Belmont is ranked inside the top 100 in possessions per game, but Murray State will slow down the pace as they’re just inside the top 250 in that category. With a fewer number of possessions, I’ll bet against this game surpassing the total.
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