The Charlotte 49ers (6-19) will travel to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to square off with the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (8-19) in a Conference-USA match-up. The two teams will meet on Saturday, February 23rd, 2019 at 6:00 PM ET. The game will be available for streaming on ESPN+. The 49ers have never defeated the Blue Raiders since they began meeting in 2014. Over this span, MTSU has produced a 5-2-1 ATS record. Charlotte and Middle Tennessee State last met in February in Murfreesboro where the Blue Raiders went to work on the 49ers defeating them 71-53 to procure an easy cover as a 4.5-point favorite.
Charlotte 49ers at Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Overview
Charlotte 49ers
The 49ers enter in overall poor form as they have won just two games in their last ten outings. Most recently, the 49ers were defeated on the road at Old Dominion University a week ago when they fell 73-60. The defeat resulted in Charlotte failing to cover by narrow margins as they were a 12.5-point underdog at the closing bell. The 49ers are 3-11 in conference play this season.
Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders
The Blue Raiders come into this game on the heels of a three-game losing streak capped off most recently by a 98-93 loss at Marshall a week ago. Despite their toils as of late, the Blue Raiders have been a cash cow against the spread as they have covered in their previous six meetings. Against Marshall, the Blue Raiders closed as a 7.5-point underdog. In conference play, MTSU is 5-9 on the year.
Reasons To Back Charlotte
The 49ers will be offered at a bargain price here because no one is going to want a part of them with their 2-8 SU road record combined with their obvious struggles against Middle Tennessee State. After all, they have never beat them. However, the 49ers are the far superior defensive team as they give up just 68 points per game (89th in the NCAA) compared to Middle Tennessee State who sits 252nd in the country at 74.4 points per game. Moreover, Charlotte will take advantage of the free points as they hit a savory 73.2% (84th in the FBS) of their free throw attempts compared to MTSU who once again sits 248th in the NCAA in the free throw shooting department at 68.6%. Combining this with turnover margin swinging in their favor, the 49ers are not only primed to cover but perhaps stage an upset.
Reasons To Avoid Middle Tennessee
Given Middle Tennessee State’s reputation for a being one of the premium teams in the Conference-USA, takers can expect to pay a premium to back the Blue Raiders here. After all, MTSU has been a participant in the Men’s Basketball Tournament in two of the last three seasons. They are also the fabled team that pulled a historic 2 vs. 15 upset over Michigan State in the 2016 tournament. These accolades alone attract action on the Blue Raiders against a lesser-known outfit such as Charlotte.
- Get more details: Charlotte at Middle Tennessee NCAAB Match-up
