The Indiana State Sycamores (22-4) travel to face off against the Southern Illinois Salukis (16-10) on Saturday, February 17th. This game will be played at Banterra Center in Carbondale and televised on ESPN+. Both Indiana State and Southern Illinois will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 ET.
Indiana State Sycamores vs Southern Illinois Salukis
The Indiana State Sycamores Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Indiana State has been dominant at home this season, going 11-1 with an average scoring margin of +21.2 points per game. However, the Sycamores have also been strong on the road, going 10-3 with an average scoring margin of +3.5 points per game.
Indiana State has been the favorite in 21 of its 26 games this season, going 20-1 in those contests. The Sycamores are coming off an 80-67 loss to Illinois State and have gone 4-1 in their last five road games.
When looking at Indiana State’s ATS record this season, they are 15-10. As the favorite, the Sycamores are 14-7 vs the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, Indiana State is 6-4 vs the spread. On the road this season, their ATS mark is 6-7 and over their last 10 road games, the Sycamores have gone 4-6 vs the spread.
The over/under record for Indiana State games this season is 15-10, and the average scoring total in their games is 157.4 points. Today’s over/under line of 149.5 is lower than the average over/under line in their games this year (155.8). Over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1, and the average scoring total in those games is 150 points.
The Southern Illinois Salukis Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
After a loss to Belmont, Southern Illinois will look to bounce back as they are 16-10 this season. They have gone 8-7 in Missouri Valley Conference play, and at home, they are 10-5.
As the underdog, the Salukis have gone 2-8 this season, and their average scoring differential at home is +8.5 points per game.
As the underdog this season, Southern Illinois has gone 6-4 against the spread. At home, their ATS record sits at 9-6. However, over their last three games at home, the Salukis are 0-3 vs. the spread.
This season, the over/under record for the Southern Illinois Salukis sits at 16-9. So far, the average over/under line in their games is 136.3 and their contests have finished with an average of 139.6 points per game. Today’s over/under line of 149.5 is higher than the average OU line in their games this year. In their last three games, the over/under record is 3-0 and the average scoring total in those games is 155 points.
Indiana State Offense Breakdown
Compared to their season average of 84.9 points per game, Indiana State struggled in their previous game. Against Illinois State, the Sycamores scored 67 points while finishing with a field goal percentage of 36.4%. The Indiana State offense has been looking to get up shots from outside so far this season, averaging 29.4 three-point attempts per contest. Overall, they have connected on 38% of their looks from outside this season.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isaiah Swope (G) | 17.7 | 3.0 | 2.2 |
| Ryan Conwell (G) | 15.7 | 4.8 | 2.2 |
| Robbie Avila (C) | 16.0 | 7.4 | 3.9 |
Southern Illinois Offense Breakdown
Coming off their recent game, the Southern Illinois offense tallied 68 points in a matchup against Belmont. Their field goal percentage for the game was 37.3%, and they made 8 threes. Currently leading the team in scoring is Xavier Johnson who comes into today’s matchup averaging 23.4. Trent Brown also heads into the game with a PPG average of 9.5.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xavier Johnson (G) | 23.4 | 3.8 | 6.0 |
| Trent Brown (G) | 9.5 | 2.2 | 1.4 |
| Clarence Rupert (F) | 8.3 | 6.3 | 1.2 |
Indiana State Team Defense
Currently, the Sycamores’ defense holds the 177th rank in the nation, allowing 72.2 points per game. In their previous game vs. Illinois State, the Redbirds finished with a field goal percentage of 36% and a total of 80 points vs. Indiana State.
Southern Illinois Team Defense
So far, the Salukis’ defense is ranked 58th in the country at 67.0 points per contest. Southern Illinois’ defense is coming off a game in which they allowed the Belmont offense to knock down 50% of their shots on their way to putting up 82 points.
Sycamores vs Salukis Trends
- In their last five games away from home, the Sycamores have a straight up record of 4-1 while going 1-4 vs the spread. The team averaged 78 points per game in this stretch.
- Southern Illinois has a 2-3 record in their last five home games. In this stretch, they averaged 69 points per game while allowing 72. The team also performed well vs the spread at 4-1.
- In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Salukis have a straight up record of 1-4 and an ATS mark of 4-1.
- Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Sycamores have a straight up record of 9-1. But, their mark vs the spread was just 6-4.
Sycamores vs Salukis Prediction
The Salukis come in as the underdog at +4.5, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.
Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 149.5 and given that our model is projecting 144 points between the teams, we like the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:February 17, 2024 Indiana State Sycamores, Southern Illinois Salukis