St. Marys vs Gonzaga Bulldogs Predictions February 3, 2024

Game outlook

The Southern Illinois Salukis will be heading to Chicago to take on the UIC Flames in a Missouri Valley Conference matchup at Credit Union 1 Arena. This comes after the Salukis suffered a close overtime loss to Missouri State, ending their two-game winning streak. On the other hand, the Flames have been struggling, losing their last seven games and winning only one out of their last eleven. Southern Illinois will be missing Cade Hornecker due to injury, while UIC does not have any players on the injury report. In terms of betting odds, Gonzaga is the favored team, opening at -4.5 and currently holding a line of Gonzaga -4.

Betting Odds

Moneyline: +165 | Bulldogs -202

Spread: +4 (-110) | Bulldogs -4 (-110)

Total: Over/Under 138.5 (-110)

Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that Gonzaga will win straight-up is 67%.

St. Marys

Southern Illinois basketball team has been performing moderately in terms of scoring. They are currently averaging 72.5 points per game, which places them at 234th position nationwide. However, their shooting performance has been relatively better. They have a shooting accuracy of 46.5% overall, ranking them at 87th place, and their accuracy from 3-point range is 37.7%, placing them at the 28th position. The team is also doing well in terms of free throw percentage, making 75.5% of their attempts and ranking 39th in the country. Xavier Johnson is the standout player of the Salukis, leading the team in scoring with an average of 23.2 points per game, making him the only player on the team with double-figure averages in points. Johnson also leads the team in assists, with an average of 6.0 per game. On the defensive end, Southern Illinois has been effective in limiting their opponents' scoring. They allow an average of only 65.0 points per game, which ranks them 32nd nationwide. They also hold their opponents to a shooting percentage of 43.5% overall and 28.8% from 3-point range, ranking 188th and 13th respectively. In terms of rebounding, Southern Illinois averages 33.2 rebounds per game, with Clarence Rupert leading the team with an average of 6.3 boards per game. Rupert also serves as the primary shot blocker, averaging 0.9 blocks per game. Johnson leads the team in steals, with an average of 1.5 per game. Moving on to St. Marys, their basketball team has a power ranking of 1. Offensively, they rank 218th in the country, averaging 72.91 points per game. Additionally, they have a shooting accuracy of 45.43% from the field, ranking them 148th. Their performance from the free-throw line is not particularly impressive, with an accuracy of 69.02%, placing them at 276th position. When it comes to three-point shooting, they make an average of 32.27% of their attempts, ranked 252nd. St. Marys excels in rebounding, averaging 40.04 boards per game, which puts them at 30th place. They also have a decent record in offensive assists, with an average of 15.