The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (15-11, 8-7 CUSA) will try to break down one of the top shooting defenses in Conference USA when they host the No. 25 Florida Atlantic Owls (24-2, 14-1 CUSA) on Thursday.
Florida Atlantic defeated the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs 90-85 in overtime at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena on Saturday, their third straight win. Alijah Martin had a standout performance with 26 points. The Owls remain first in Conference USA.
Middle Tennessee lost in blowout fashion on Saturday at Bartow Arena, falling to the UAB Blazers 92-69. Eli Lawrence had 18 points in defeat to lead the team. The Blue Raiders are fourth in Conference USA.
It’s the final meeting of the season between the teams. After taking the only previous season meeting against Middle Tennessee 85-67 at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena on January 26, Florida Atlantic will be seeking a season sweep. Johnell Davis led the Owls with 25 points, six rebounds, and five steals.
]Lawrence had 17 points in the losing effort. Davis (12.4 ppg), Martin (11.3), and Vladislav Goldin (10.8) have led the Owls in scoring this season. Goldin also has grabbed 6.3 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Jalen Gaffney is dishing 2.7 assists per game.
Lawrence (12.7 ppg) and Deandre Dishman (11.1) have been the primary providers of the Blue Raiders’ offense. Dishman also has posted 5.5 rebounds per game.
Camryn Weston has distributed 2.8 assists per game.The Owls are holding foes to one of the league’s lowest FG%, ranking second at 40.9%.Florida Atlantic is 9-1 in the last 10 games with an average margin of +9.0 (77.1-68.1).
Middle Tennessee has gone 6-4 over the last 10, scoring 74.2 points per game on average while allowing 73.4 (+0.8 margin). The Blue Raiders are averaging 71.6 ppg for the full season while allowing 68.7.
OWLS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Giancarlo Rosado: 7.0 | 10.5 | -3.5
Points per game:
Vladislav Goldin: 14.0 | 10.8 | +3.2
Assists per game:
Jalen Gaffney: 4.0 | 2.7 | +1.3
BLUE RAIDERS HOT/COLD
(Last Five | Season Average | Differential)
Points + Rebounds + Assists:
Justin Bufford: 7.6 | 5.5 | +2.1
Points per game:
Camryn Weston: 13.4 | 10.2 | +3.2
Assists per game:
Camryn Weston: 4.2 | 2.8 | +1.4
SportsTips’ College Basketball Pick:
MTSU (-200)
Want up to a $1K risk free bet for this pick?
Claim with 
today!
If you need more news, information and predictions, head over to our college basketball hub page for all your college basketball needs!
*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
