The Illinois State Redbirds host Northern Iowa on Thursday, looking to build on their 8-3 mark against the 10-2 Panthers in college hoops action at Redbird Arena.

Supporters of the Panthers have watched them go 10-2 and 7-4 ATS on the year, while the Redbirds are at 8-3 and 4-3 ATS. In totals betting, the Redbirds are 3-4, while the Panthers have a 5-5-1 mark.



View Northern Iowa vs Illinois State Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Bettors looking to side with Illinois State in this one will find them as 2-point underdogs.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Redbirds - Panthers odds would favor the Panthers if the lines were set according to our power ranks. Illinois State is rated No. 191 in the current Odds Shark poll, while Northern Iowa is at No. 44. Mathematical models based on recent stats and predictive formulas point to a 76-73 win for the Redbirds.



How They Match Up:
In the paint, the rebound battle will feature Illinois State's No. 198-rated squad against Northern Iowa's No. 315-rated roster. And in long-range shooting, Illinois State rates No. 24 in the country with 8.7 per game, while their foes tonight rank No. 32 nationally with 8.4 per match.

Defensively, Northern Iowa features the nation's No. 12-rated defense on the road, allowing 56.8 points per game. Illinois State, meanwhile, comes in at No. 178 nationally in scoring at home.

In their last action, Northern Iowa was a 76-59 loser at home against Ohio. They failed to cover the 5.5–point spread as favorites. Jake Koch scored 15 points in a futile effort to lead the Panthers to a win (they lost 76-59 to Ohio at McLeod Center on Tuesday).

Last time out for Illinois State, they were a 72-65 Sportsbook as they battled Arkansas-Little Rock at home. They failed to cover in the match as a 13-point favorite. Illinois State earned a 72-65 victory over Arkansas-Little Rock on Tuesday, getting 23 points from Tyler Brown at Redbird Arena.


Northern Iowa Panthers Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 4-6
Before playing Evansville are 7-3
After a loss are 5-5

Illinois State Redbirds Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 6-4
Before playing Southern Illinois are 4-6
After playing Arkansas-Little Rock are 1-0
After a win are 6-4

A few Panthers at Redbirds trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Northern Iowa's last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Northern Iowa's last 5 games when playing on the road against Illinois State
Northern Iowa is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Northern Iowa is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Illinois State
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Illinois State's last 5 games when playing Northern Iowa
Illinois State is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games at home
Illinois State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Illinois State's last 5 games when playing at home against Northern Iowa


Next up:
Northern Iowa home to Evansville, Sunday, January 1
Illinois State at Southern Illinois, Sunday, January 1