Who's Playing

Valparaiso @ Murray State

Regular Season Records: Valparaiso 11-20; Murray State 16-14

What to Know

The Murray State Racers and the Valparaiso Beacons are set to clash at 7 p.m. ET March 2 at Enterprise Center in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tourney. MSU should still be riding high after a victory, while the Beacons will be looking to right the ship.

The Racers are hoping for another win. They escaped with a win on Sunday against Valpo by the margin of a single free throw, 77-76. MSU got double-digit scores from four players: forward DJ Burns (21), guard Quincy Anderson (15), guard JaCobi Wood (13), and guard Brian Moore Jr. (11).

Barring any buzzer beaters, MSU is expected to win a tight contest Thursday. They have failed bettors playing the spread in their past two games, so buyers beware.

Valparaiso's loss took them down to 11-20 while Murray State's win pulled them up to 16-14. If MSU want to win, they will need to focus on stopping the Beacons' forward Ben Krikke, who had 24 points along with five boards, and guard Nick Edwards, who had 16 points and five assists in addition to six rebounds. We'll see whether or not they are up to the challenge.

How To Watch

  • When: Thursday at 7 p.m. ET
  • Where: Enterprise Center -- St. Louis, Missouri
  • TV: ESPN Plus
  • Follow: CBS Sports App

Odds

The Racers are a slight 2.5-point favorite against the Beacons, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 2.5-point spread, and stayed right there.

Over/Under: -110

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Series History

Murray State have won both of the games they've played against Valparaiso in the last nine years.

  • Feb 26, 2023 - Murray State 77 vs. Valparaiso 76
  • Dec 04, 2022 - Murray State 77 vs. Valparaiso 70