Murray State and Austin Peay square off in the 140th Battle of the Border on Friday night. The game is being televised by ESPN and live streamed online.
This is an interesting matchup. The Governors have struggled to establish a high standard of play so far this season and will have to compete against a team that is 6-4 in this matchup.
Murray State
Murray State is back in action this Saturday. The Racers will try to extend their win streak against non-conference opponents to four when they take on Austin Peay in a big Battle of the Border.
Murray has been a top-10 team for the past few years, but this is a very different team than they were a year ago. They are 6-4 through 10 games and are currently a few losses behind last season’s NCAA Tournament-quality squad. They are also a much more defensive-oriented team than they were a year ago, and that has been a key factor in their recent losses.
Austin Peay has a mixed record through 11 games this season, but their opening two-game road trip to North Carolina State and Purdue did not give them an ideal platform to establish a consistent level of play. They got whacked by those teams, but then went on a three-game winning streak in the Ohio Valley Conference that included a pair of wins against teams that are near the bottom of the conference standings.
Their latest win came in a one-point victory against Chicago State on Tuesday. That win was a tough one for them to pull off, as the Governors trailed by 15 points at halftime and had to come from behind in the second half to get the win. However, a very solid performance against Chicago State, which was one of the worst teams in Division I basketball for several years, has them feeling better prepared to face this opponent at home.
Elijah Hutchins-Everett leads the Governors in scoring with 12.9 points per game while also grabbing 6.7 rebounds per game. He shot 8-of-11 from the field in the win over Chicago State, and he added a season-high eight rebounds against the Bulldogs.
Austin Peay
Austin Peay is a public four-year university in Clarksville, Tennessee. Its mission is to provide transformational experiences that will empower students to make a difference in the world.
The university offers more than 50 graduate and 125 undergraduate degree paths. Its programs include nationally recognized teacher preparation, aviation science, and animation.
In addition to providing the resources of a major university, Austin Peay’s small college feel provides students with a chance to get to know their professors one-on-one and to develop relationships that will last beyond graduation. APSU is also a safe, welcoming place to study and live.
Founded in 1927, Austin Peay State University is located on 196 acres in Montgomery county. It is a four-year public, master’s level university. Its campus is surrounded by the town of Clarksville, a thriving city that was named to Money Magazine’s 2019 list of America’s Best Places to Live.
As a public university, it is a member of the Tennessee Higher Education System and has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The school serves students from all parts of the state and several foreign countries.
On its main campus, the University has 75 buildings on three sites occupying 637 acres. The university’s athletic program competes in the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) and NCAA Division II.
The university is a leader in growth among public universities in the state of Tennessee. In recent years, it has expanded its academic offerings and opened new facilities. These buildings include the Maynard Mathematics and Computer Science Building, the Governors Terrace residence halls, Fortera Stadium, the Ann Ross Bookstore, the Newton Family Military Resource Center, and the Environmental Education Center.
In addition to its academic programs, the university also offers a variety of cultural, artistic and recreational activities. The University is also a leader in environmental conservation.
It is a part of the National Center for Academic Excellence in Teaching and Learning, an organization that works to improve teaching and learning at universities throughout the country. Its faculty are highly respected leaders in their fields and the university hosts a number of prestigious lectures each year.
Betting Odds
The Murray State Racers are on a 3-1 win streak with victories over Illinois State, Valparaiso and Chicago State. They have yet to lose a game and are a strong betting option against Austin Peay on Friday in an NCAAB matchup that starts at 8 PM ET.
The Racers are favored by 18.5 points at Caesars Sportsbook while the over/under is set at 132.5. It is also worth noting that the Governors are a -108 underdogs on FanDuel in this matchup and have a +300 moneyline compared to the Racers.
Murray State is a good bet against the spread in this game, as they have covered in 13 of their last 19 games. They have also scored more than 73 points in three of their last four games.
In their last game, Murray State was down 42-27 at halftime before coming back to beat Chicago State 66-65. JaCobi Wood led the way with 24 points, while DJ Burns added 18 to round out the scoring for the winners.
It is also worth noting that Austin Peay has been on a three-game winning streak, defeating Eastern Illinois and Lindsey Wilson by a combined score of 86-61. Elijah Hutchins-Everett has averaged 12 points and 10 rebounds per game in those wins, while Carlos Paez has put up 16 points, seven assists and five rebounds.
While the Governors are a good bet against the spread in the latest betting odds for this matchup, they do have a few weaknesses to work with. Firstly, they haven’t played as well as expected through the first 11 games of the season.
Secondly, they’re still finding their feet as a program and will have to overcome a few obstacles before they can achieve their full potential. The biggest obstacle is their inability to shoot the ball well, as they have a 37.5 percent FG% and a 38.3 percent 3-point percentage this season.
