Southern Illinois Dominates Illinois State with Impressive Defensive Display
In an upcoming Missouri Valley Conference matchup, the Illinois State Redbirds will be facing off against the Southern Illinois Salukis. The Redbirds are coming off a loss
Game outlook
In an upcoming Missouri Valley Conference matchup, the Illinois State Redbirds will be facing off against the Southern Illinois Salukis. The Redbirds are coming off a loss against UIC and have struggled in recent games. On the other hand, the Salukis were defeated by Drake in overtime but have generally performed better. Illinois State does not have any players listed on its injury report, while Southern Illinois will be without Cade Hornecker. Currently, Southern Illinois is favored to win, with the opening line at -9 and the current line at -7.5.
Betting Odds
Moneyline: Redbirds +280 | Salukis -363
Spread: Redbirds +7.5 (-110) | Salukis -7.5 (-110)
Total: Over/Under 128.5 (-110)
Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that Southern Illinois will win straight-up is 78%.
Illinois St. Redbirds
Illinois State has been struggling offensively this season, averaging only 65.4 points per game, which ranks them 341st in the nation. Their poor shooting performance contributes to their low scoring, as they are ranked 332nd in overall shooting percentage at 40.9% and 353rd in shooting from the 3-point territory at 27.8%. Their free throw shooting is slightly better, making 70.1% of their free throws, ranking them 247th. Darius Burford is the leading scorer for the team with an average of 13.2 points per game, followed by Myles Foster with 11.1 points per game. No other players on the team average double figures in scoring. Dalton Banks leads the team in assists with an average of 3.6 per game. Defensively, Illinois State allows an average of 67.5 points per game, ranking them 71st. Their opponents shoot 44.6% overall and 34.5% from 3-point range against them, which ranks them 245th and 267th, respectively. The team averages 35.1 rebounds per game, led by Myles Foster with 7.3 rebounds per game. Foster also acts as the team's rim protector with an average of 0.6 blocked shots per game, while Burford leads the team in steals with an average of 1.0 per game. Overall, Illinois State's performance has resulted in a power ranking of 138, with a rank of 339 on offense and 85 on defense. They have a record of 11-13 this season, with a 9-14 ATS record.