The Bison hope to be lousy hosts on Saturday as the Western Illinois Leathernecks pay a visit to Bison Sports Arena on the college basketball betting menu.

North Dakota State will face the 14-13 Leathernecks, who own a 10-10 ATS mark on the season. In totals betting, the Bison are 9-12-1 favoring the UNDER so far this season while the Leathernecks are 6-13 favoring the OVER.



View Western Illinois vs North Dakota State Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The Bison are listed as 8.5-point favorites at most sportsbooks tracked by Odds Shark.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new college basketball power rankings here, it's the No. 161-ranked Bison and the No. 228-rated Leathernecks in this matchup. Computer formulas aimed at predicting NCAAB scores point to a 72-67 win for the Bison on Saturday.



How They Match Up:
Rebounding is always a key handicapping consideration and Leathernecks is ranked No. 329 in NCAA hoops at 29.5 per game. Contrast that with North Dakota State’s No. 227 mark in the paint. When it comes to three-point shooting, North Dakota State is the No. 141-ranked team in the country at 6.4 per game, while Western Illinois rates No. 285 at 5 per game.

Defensively, Western Illinois features the nation's No. 75-rated defense on the road, allowing 65.4 points per game. North Dakota State, meanwhile, comes in at No. 24 nationally in scoring at home.

Last time out for Western Illinois, they were a 74-57 loser as they battled South Dakota State on the road. They failed to cover in the match as a 12.5-point underdog. The Leathernecks endured a 74-57 loss at the hands of the Jackrabbits on Thursday, despite a 15-point effort from Tommie Tyler at Frost Arena.

North Dakota State lost its last outing, a 74-68 result against IUPUI on February 23. They failed to cover in that game as an 8-point favorite. Marshall Bjorklund scored 17 points in a futile effort to lead the Bison to a win (they lost 74-68 to IUPUI at Bison Sports Arena on Thursday).

Next up:
Western Illinois home to Nebraska Omaha, Wednesday, February 29