IUPU Fort Wayne will look to improve on its 9-12 record on Thursday when they host Western Illinois in NCAA basketball odds action at Memorial Coliseum.

The Mastodons sit at 9-12 (7-8 ATS) on the season. By comparison, the Leathernecks are currently 15-4 (10-4-1 ATS). Looking to wager on the totals? IUPU Fort Wayne is 4-6-1 OU, and Western Illinois is 6-6 OU.



View Western Illinois vs IUPU Fort Wayne Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
On the Sportsbook NCAA basketball line for this matchup, IUPU Fort Wayne sat as 2.5-point underdogs over at Sportsbook. Also, check out the current total, which often goes up first at online sportsbook Sportsbook.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The power rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Mastodons rated this week at No. 208 and the Leathernecks sitting at No. 216. It may or may not play a role in Odds Shark score prediction modelling that produced a 70-61 result in favor of the Leathernecks.



How They Match Up:
The game also pits IUPU Fort Wayne's No. 234-ranked offense, averaging 65.3 PPG, against a Leathernecks defense that ranks No. 4 at 52.1 PPG. The Mastodons field goal percentage has averaged 41.7% so far, less than the Leathernecks marksmen have achieved on the year, 47.1% per game.

Defensively, Western Illinois features the nation's No. 5-rated defense on the road, allowing 56.2 points per game. IUPU Fort Wayne, meanwhile, comes in at No. 96 nationally in scoring at home.

Western Illinois won its last outing, a 50-42 result against North Dakota State on January 19. They covered in that game as a 3.5-point underdog. Western Illinois got 13 points from Ceola Clark III en route to a 50-42 victory over North Dakota State on Saturday at Western Hall.

In their last action, IUPU Fort Wayne was a 63-59 loser at home against UMKC. They failed to cover the 8.5-point spread as favorites. The Mastodons endured a 63-59 loss at the hands of the Kangaroos on Saturday, despite a 17-point effort from Frank Gaines at Memorial Coliseum.

Next up:
Western Illinois at Oakland, Saturday, January 26
IUPU Fort Wayne home to IUPUI, Saturday, January 26