Belmont Bruins (16-1, 10-0) at Austin Peay (8-5, 4-3)
- Time: 6PM PST | 8PM CST | 9PM EST
- Location: Dunn Center, Clarksville, TN
- TV: ESPN+
Tip-Off
Belmont has won 13 in a row dating back to Dec. 5 when the Bruins lost a home game to Samford, 96-83. The Bruins have not had any cancellations or postponements for covid which has allowed an already good basketball team to keep it’s chemistry and rhythm throughout it’s schedule and it shows as the 16 wins are the most in D-1 play. Belmont is likely going to post at least 20 wins for the 11th year in a row.
Austin Peay has had three postponements since Jan. 7, but the Governors have won two out of their last three games, but suffered a 76-70 loss to Jacksonville State last Saturday. The Governors sport s 32-20 lead in the series although they have won 13 out of the last 15 in the series. APSU handed Belmont it’s last Ohio Valley Conference loss, 86-78, last Jan. 25.
Vs. The Spread
Belmont:
- The Bruins check in at 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games
- The total has also gone over in 4 of the last 5 Belmont games
- The Bruins are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. Austin Peay
Austin Peay:
- The Governors are 4-12 ATS in their last 16 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 10 of the Govs’ last 15 contests
- The OVER has been the play in 4 of the last 6 games between the Governors and Bruins
Last Time Out
The Bruins rolled to a 114-62 win over SIU-Edwardsville on Jan. 23 behind 18 points each from Ben Sheppard and Luke Smith. The Cougars played their first game in 33 days due to covid protocols. Sheppard made for of sic three-pointers as Belmont netted 17 not he evening.
Jacksonville State got past APSU, 76-70, on Saturday as Terry Taylor played the entire 40 minutes and scored 19 points to lead the Govs. Jordyn Adams added 18 while Mike Peake popped in 17. The Gamecocks made 31-of-49 shots good for 63.3 percent from the field.
| Teams | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont | -5 (-105) | -210 | O 152.5 (-115) |
| Austin Peay | +5 (-115) | +180 | U 152.5 (-105) |
Bruins Stat Pack
- Junior guard Grayson Murphy has 39 assists in has last four games against APSU and had 23 points at Austin Peay last season.
- The Governors are good off the dribble and draw fouls. In last season’s loss, APSU made 18 of 22 free throws while Belmont was only 6 of 9.
- Freshman JaCobi Wood has made an immediate impact with 13.1 ppg, and he shoots 48.1 percent as he has started seven games.
For the Bruins To Win
This game features four returning first team all-OVC players in Belmont’s Nick Muszynski, Grayson Murphy, Terry Taylor and Jordan Adams of Austin Peay. Although the scoring punch from Taylor and Adams is huge, the Governors are 336th in the NCAA in effective field goal percentage as opponents shoot 47.9 percent from the floor. The Bruins have a solid offensive scheme which works with precision against what defenses give it. Casey Alexander’s squad shoots 50.1 percent from the floor. Muszynski (15.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg) is a stalwart in the middle as he shoots 57.4 percent from the floor while Luke Smith has netted 53 triples and shoots 42.7 percent from behind the arc. JaCobi Wood and Ben Sheppard are two tough inside-outside matchups as they have made 21 threes apiece, but they get to the line and score at the basket.
Governors Stat Pack
- Terry Taylor is off to a solid start again (21.2 ppg.,10.8 rpg) as he was the only player in the nation to lead his league in both scoring (21.8 ppg) and rebounding (11.1 rpg) a year ago.
- The Govs’ had a season low eight turnovers in their recent win over Tennessee Tech. That snapped a 17-game streak where they posted double figures in miscues.
- APSU allowed a season low 10 points in the paint in their win over Tennessee State, the lowest total in three seasons.
For the Governors To Win
Coach Matt Figger has done an awesome of job breathing life into the Governors program and recruiting higher level players which give them a chance to win almost every night out. Terry Taylor and Jordyn Adams (10.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg) exemplify Figger’s efforts. Both of these guys play in transition and their quickness allows them to get in the paint and to the basket. The Bruins surprisingly are a (-0.1) on the glass and Austin Peay can take advantage of that as Taylor leads the OVC in rebounding and the Govs allow an-OVC low 30.8 rebounds per game from opponents. Adams has been injured as he missed five games, but is 16-of-33 from the field and averaging 12.3 points in his three games since his return.
Winner: Belmont (-5) 77 Austin Peay 69
Over-Under: Take UNDER 152.5
