Southern Illinois Salukis vs
Oklahoma St. CowboysPredictions & Preview

Oklahoma State Cowboys Favored Over Southern Illinois Salukis in Non-Conference Showdown

On Thursday, college basketball fans can look forward to a matchup between the Southern Illinois Salukis and the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Salukis, with a record of 1-1, will face the 2-0 Cowboys in a non-conference showdown. Both teams will be looking to set the tone for their seasons with a strong performance. Oklahoma State opens as the betting favorite with a spread of -12, indicating high expectations for the team. The game is set to tip-off at 8:00 ET at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, OK.

Betting Odds

• Moneyline: Salukis +513 | Cowboys -700
• Spread: Salukis +12 (-110) | Cowboys -12 (-110)
• Total: Over/Under 161.5 (-110)
• Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that Oklahoma St. will win straight-up is 88%.

Southern Illinois vs Oklahoma St. Stats

Southern Illinois Salukis

Coach Scott Nagy has recently taken over as the head coach of the Southern Illinois Salukis men's basketball program, coming from Wright State with an impressive record. The team finished last season with a 19-13 record and is projected to finish seventh in the Missouri Valley Conference this season. Despite dropping their opener, the Salukis bounced back in their latest game with a dominant performance in every major statistical category. Individually, Kennard Davis Jr. led the team in scoring. Southern Illinois currently holds a power ranking of 175 and is ranked #0 in offense and defense. They are 1-0 this season and have shown strength in various areas of the game.

Oklahoma St. Cowboys Analysis

After seven seasons, Mike Boynton's tenure as head coach of the Oklahoma State Cowboys men's basketball team has come to an end, with Steve Lutz stepping in as the new head coach. Lutz previously coached at Western Kentucky, leading the team to a 22-12 record and a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Oklahoma State is looking to improve after a disappointing 2021 season, where they finished with a 12-20 record. Despite low preseason rankings, the Cowboys have started the season strong under Coach Lutz, with a 2-0 record. In their most recent victory over St. Thomas, Marchelus Avery stood out with 23 points. The Cowboys have shown promise early in the season, demonstrating improvements in shooting efficiency and turnover management compared to the previous year. Additionally, the team's statistics show strengths in offensive scoring, three-point shooting, and free throw percentage, while areas for improvement include defensive field goal percentage and three-point defense.

Oklahoma State Favored Over Southern Illinois Despite Close Games

Oklahoma State has started the season with a 2-0 record, but their margin of victory has only been +11.0 points on average. Their wins against Green Bay and St. Thomas (MN) were not as dominant as expected from a power-four school. In contrast, Southern Illinois, under new management with Scott Nagy, has a coach with a successful track record, having led teams to the Big Dance five times. According to KenPom's adjusted efficiency margin, Southern Illinois is ranked 159th (+0.10) while Oklahoma State is ranked 90th (+7.98), projecting a seven-point advantage for the Cowboys. With this in mind, there appears to be value in betting on the visiting team getting nearly double digits.

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