How to watch Illinois-Chicago vs. Murray State basketball game
Halftime Report
Murray State is on the road but looking no worse for wear. After one quarter, neither squad has the contest in the bag, but Murray State leads 36-33 over UIC.
Murray State entered the match having won three straight and they’re just one half away from another. Will they make it four, or will UIC step up and spoil it? We’ll know soon.
Who’s Playing
Murray State Racers @ UIC Flames
Current Records: Murray State 10-7, UIC 10-6
How To Watch
- When: Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 8 p.m. ET
- Where: Credit Union 1 Arena — Chicago, Illinois
- TV: ESPN Plus
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $30.45
What to Know
Murray State is 3-0 against UIC since January of 2023, and they’ll have a chance to extend that success on Wednesday. Both will face off in a Missouri Valley battle at 8:00 p.m. ET at Credit Union 1 Arena. The Racers will be strutting in after a victory while the Flames will be stumbling in from a loss.
UIC is hoping to do what Valparaiso couldn’t on Saturday: put an end to Murray State’s winning streak, which now stands at three games. Murray State came out on top against Valparaiso by a score of 58-47.
Nick Ellington was the offensive standout of the match as he went 5 for 9 en route to 15 points plus eight rebounds. He continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he’s played.
Meanwhile, UIC lost 61-60 to Bradley on a last-minute jump shot From Duke Deen. The Flames were up 44-31 in the second but couldn’t hold on to the lead.
Despite their defeat, UIC saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Ahmad Henderson II, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Tyem Freeman, on the other hand, was considerably less helpful: he went 0-5 from downtown.
Even though they lost, UIC smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. The team’s really been improving in that area: they’ve now improved their offensive rebound total in three consecutive games.
Murray State is on a roll lately: they’ve won four of their last five matchups, which provided a massive bump to their 10-7 record this season. As for UIC, their loss dropped their record down to 10-6.
While only Murray State took care of their fans the last time they played, both teams pleased bettors by covering the spread. As for their next game, UIC is expected to win a tight contest, barring any buzzer beaters. They might be worth a quick bet since they’ve covered the spread the last seven times they’ve played.
Murray State strolled past UIC when the teams last played back in January of 2024 by a score of 73-58. Will Murray State repeat their success, or does UIC have a better game plan this time around? We’ll find out soon enough.
Odds
UIC is a slight 1.5-point favorite against Murray State, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The line on this game has moved a bit since it opened, as it started out with the Racers as a 1-point favorite.
The over/under is 139 points.
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Series History
Murray State has won all of the games they’ve played against UIC in the last 2 years.
- Jan 17, 2024 – Murray State 73 vs. UIC 58
- Jan 02, 2024 – Murray State 85 vs. UIC 73
- Jan 14, 2023 – Murray State 81 vs. UIC 64
