The Evansville Purple Aces will try to cover the spread at Ford Center on Saturday when they get a visit from the Southern Illinois Salukis in NCAA basketball action.

The Purple Aces sit at 8-6 (6-4-1 ATS) on the season. By comparison, the Salukis are currently 7-6 (5-5 ATS). Looking to wager on the totals? Evansville is 6-1 OU, and Southern Illinois is 4-4 OU.



View Southern Illinois vs Evansville Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The visitors opened as 7.5-point underdogs in this one at most sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark, including Sportsbook. The total was set to open a bit later (check out Sportsbook for the latest situation(.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new college basketball power rankings here, it's the No. 179-ranked Purple Aces and the No. 247-rated Salukis in this matchup. Computer formulas aimed at predicting NCAAB scores point to a 71-70 win for the Purple Aces on Saturday.



How They Match Up:
When it comes to rebounds, the visiting Salukis rank No. 272 in NCAA Division 1 with 32.5 per game. That compares with Evansville’s No. 261 ranking in that category. The story is different when it comes to three-point shooting where Evansville is college basketball's No. 233-ranked team at 5.6 per game, while the Salukis rate No. 321 with 4.2 per game.

Defensively, Southern Illinois features the nation's No. 38-rated defense on the road, allowing 61.5 points per game. Evansville, meanwhile, comes in at No. 187 nationally in scoring at home.

In their last action, Southern Illinois was a 66-60 loser at home against Bradley. They failed to cover the 2-point spread as favorites. Desmar Jackson scored 15 points in a futile effort to lead the Salukis to a win (they lost 66-60 to Bradley at SIU Arena on Wednesday).

In their last action, Evansville was a 62-59 Sportsbook at home against Missouri State. They failed to cover the 13-point spread as favorites. Evansville got 18 points from Egidijus Mockevicius en route to a 62-59 victory over Missouri State on Wednesday at Ford Center.


Southern Illinois Salukis Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing Wichita State are 4-6
After playing Bradley are 3-7
After a loss are 3-7

Evansville Purple Aces Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 5-5
Before playing Northern Iowa are 3-7
After playing Missouri State are 3-7
After a win are 5-5

A few Salukis at Purple Aces trends to consider:
Southern Illinois is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Evansville
Southern Illinois is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing on the road against Evansville
Southern Illinois is 4-13 SU in its last 17 games on the road
Evansville is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Evansville's last 7 games when playing Southern Illinois
Evansville is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Southern Illinois
Evansville is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games


Next up:
Southern Illinois at Wichita State, Wednesday, January 9
Evansville at Northern Iowa, Wednesday, January 9