Upcoming Match-ups

Missouri State vs Bradley Odds, Lines, and Spread (Jan. 5)

Daniel Coyle

by Daniel Coyle in College Basketball

Updated Jan 5, 2022 · 1:37 PM PST

Missouri State's Gaige Prim shielding the ball from a defender
Missouri State's Gaige Prim (44) holds the ball as Valparaiso's Ben Krikke (23) defends during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in the quarterfinal round of the Missouri Valley Conference men's tournament Friday, March 5, 2021, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
  • MVC rivals clash on Wednesday, as the Missouri State Bears visit the Bradley Braves as narrow road favorites
  • The Bears tallied home wins on consecutive nights when these two teams last met back in February 2021
  • Read on for all the odds and trends ahead of Wednesday’s clash at Carver Arena

The Missouri State Bears look to extend their current straight up win streak to three games when they visit the Bradley Braves on Wednesday as slender 1-point road favorites. Tip off is set for 9:00pm ET on Wednesday night at the home of the Braves, Carver Arena.

Missouri State Bears vs Bradley Braves Odds

Team Spread Total Moneyline
Missouri State Bears -1 (-110) Ov 137 (-110) -115
Bradley Braves +1 (-110) Un 137 (-110) -104

Odds at FanDuel as of January 5, 2022.

Bears vs Braves Betting Trends

Wednesday night’s matchup marks the first of two scheduled meetings this season between these Missouri Valley Conference rivals. The Bears tallied outright home wins on consecutive nights the last time they faced the Braves in February of last year, snapping a three-game SU losing streak in head-to-head action.

Missouri State has also held the edge at the sportsbooks in recent dates with the Braves, going 5-2 against the spread in their past seven meetings. The Bears are also a steady 5-1 ATS in six visits to Bradley as road underdogs, claiming outright victories on two occasions over that stretch. Recent clashes have tended towards higher scoring. The total has reached 138 or higher in three of four meetings, fueling a 3-1 run for the OVER.

In addition, both of these teams have emerged as a reliable bets this season. The Braves have covered six times during their current 6-2 SU run, and have also gone 3-1 ATS during their current four-game SU home win streak versus Division I opponents. The Bears are 6-1 SU and ATS over their past seven, but currently sport a middling 2-2 SU and ATS road record.

Missouri State Bears Outlook

The Bears needed a big second-half performance to earn a 61-56 win over Drake this past weekend. Missouri State stumbled out of the gate, tallying just 23 points before halftime. But with the Bulldogs struggling to find the mark while converting just 34.5% of field goal attempts and going a dismal 1-for16 from beyond the arc, the Bears embarked on a steady 17-6 run that gave them a lead they would not relinquish.

Missouri State needed contributions from the team’s supporting cast to eke out Sunday’s win over Drake. Donovan Clay turned his best performance since opening night, leading the team with 15 points while contributing seven rebounds, while senior big man Gaige Prim recorded his sixth double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 boards.

Conversely, leading scorer Isiaih Mosley struggled badly in Sunday’s win. The junior guard went just 2-for-9 from the floor for seven points on the night, ending a steady six-game run during which he topped 20 points on five occasions. Mosley has also run hot and cold in recent dates with Bradley.

The 21-year-old tallied just four points in the front half of last February’s back-to-back with the Braves, but rebounded to score 27 points against Bradley just 24 hours later.

Bradley Braves Outlook

The Braves will be looking to rebound from last weekend’s 76-71 loss to Indiana State when they return home for Wednesday night’s matchup. Bradley stormed out of the gate to an early double-digit lead over the Sycamores, but ended up trailing at halftime for the third time in their past five outings.

However, the Braves have enjoyed better starts in recent dates on home court, averaging 41 first-half points over their past three. That has helped this team generate a respectable 74.8 points per game over their past four home contests.

Despite those solid numbers, the Braves continue to lag at a distant No. 190 in adjusted offensive efficiency at Kenpom. However, the Braves’ best players have played like it in recent outings.

Leading scorer Terry Roberts led the way in this past weekend’s loss to the Sycamores, dropping 19 points and seven rebounds, and has now averaged 22.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game over his past three outings. Junior big man Malevy Leon tallied 11 points and 12 rebounds to record the first double-double of his collegiate career, and has now reached double digits in points scored in five straight contests.

The Pick: Braves +1 (-110)

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