Upcoming Match-ups
Tmrw
20
Apr
1:00 PM
ORL
CLE
+4.5
-4.5
207.5
3:30 PM
PHO
MIN
+1.5
-1.5
214
6:00 PM
PHI
NY
+3
-3
209
8:30 PM
LAL
DEN
+7
-7
224
Sunday
21
Apr
3:30 PM
DAL
LAC
-1.5
+1.5
224
7:00 PM
IND
MIL
-1
+1
233
Tuesday
23
Apr
8:30 PM
IND
MIL
+3
-3
239.5
10:00 PM
DAL
LAC
+2
-2
227.5

Murray State & Belmont Meet in OVC Championship Game for Third Straight Season

David Golokhov

by David Golokhov in College Basketball

Updated Apr 9, 2020 · 12:29 PM PDT

CFSB Center during a basketball game.
The Belmont Bears and Murray State Racers will square off in the OVC Championship Game for a third year in a row. Photo by 2011 Murray State University (Wikimedia).
  • The Belmont Bears and Murray State Racers are the top two seeds in the OVC Tournament
  • This will be the third year in a row that they’re squaring off in the conference title tournament game
  • Read below to find out what side is the best bet to win and advance to the Big Dance

The Belmont Bears and the Murray State Racers are the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. For a third year in a row, the two sides will square off in the conference tournament final for a spot in March Madness. Which side has the upper hand in Saturday’s meeting?

Murray State Racers vs Belmont Bears Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Odds
Murray State Racers +3.0 (-110) +135 Over 140.0 (-110)
Belmont Bears -3.0 (-110) -155 Under 140.0 (-110)

Odds taken Mar. 7

Belmont Beats Eastern Kentucky to Advance to Finals

Belmont finished the regular season tied with Murray State at 15-3 in conference play, but they finished 25-7 overall, which was two wins better than the Racers. That gave them the top spot in the conference. The top two teams in this conference earned double-byes, so Belmont’s first game was on Friday.

Belmont ended up facing No. 4 Eastern Kentucky and they advanced, hardly breaking a sweat. They shot fairly poorly, making just 25-of-65 (33.8%) from the field but still won 60-50. The Colonels finished their year 16-17 overall and 12-6 in conference play, so they weren’t exactly a formidable opponent.

OVC Tournament Bracket

Murray State Tops Austin Peay to Move On

Similar to Belmont, Murray State avoided the first round and the quarterfinals in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, and squared off with Austin Peay on Friday night. They also didn’t face much resistance easily winning 73-61. Tevin Brown scored 24 while K.J. Williams had 15 points.

It’s fair to say that Austin Peay was the tougher of the two opponents on Friday night (of the teams Murray State and Belmont faced) as the Governors were 21-12 on the year and 14-4 in conference play. They finished a win short of the conference leaders. Belmont was favored by 13; Murray State was favored by 1.5.

At any rate, Murray State actually finished the regular season by beating Austin Peay 75-61 at home and then beat them again on Friday night – this time at a neutral site. That will set up a third meeting of the season between Murray State and Belmont, and so far, the season series is tied one game apiece.

What’s the Best Bet?

Neither of these teams are a factor in the National Championship odds but at the same time, the loser isn’t going to the NCAA Tournament, so this game is for a lot of marbles. Last year, Murray State took the win as star point guard Ja Morant led the way. There’s no Morant this time around but the Racers do have a stud in Brown.

I’m looking for Belmont to get the job done here as the hottest team in the conference right now. They’ve won 11 in a row heading into this game, including a win over Murray State. They outrank Murray State in the overall KenPom rankings, the Offensive Efficiency Rating and have similar Defensive Efficiency Ratings.

Beyond that, they have a little more balance than the Racers. It’s been quite a ride for Belmont this year and I don’t expect it to end on Saturday. Bet the Bears to win, cover and advance.

Author Image