The Illinois State Redbirds will look to boost their win total and cover the spread when they tip off against the Western Michigan Broncos at Redbird Arena on Saturday in NCAA hoops play.

This season, the Redbirds are 5-3 overall and 4-2 ATS ATS, while the Broncos are 6-2 and 4-2 ATS against the number. As for the totals, Illinois State boasts a 3-1 on the OU, and Western Michigan is 1-1.



View Western Michigan vs Illinois State Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Illinois State opened as 14.5-point favorites in this college basketball tilt over at Sportsbook but the number may be on the move. Watch for the Sportsbook total as well at Sportsbook.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Odds Shark Power Rankings have the Redbirds at No. 54 and the Broncos at No. 125 heading into this contest. Handicapping models at Odds Shark project a 80-74 result in favor of the Redbirds.



How They Match Up:
Offensively, the game matches up Illinois State's No. 19 nationally ranked offense (80.4 points per game) against a Broncos defense that sits as the No. 61 at 59.5 PPG. The Redbirds have been averaging 50.6% from the field, more than the Broncos have managed so far this season (42.3% on average).

Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Western Michigan owns the country's No. 92-rated mark, allowing 65 points per game on the highway. Illinois State, on the other hand, rates No. 30 in scoring at home.

In their last action, Western Michigan was a 73-41 loser on the road against Michigan. They failed to cover the 21-point spread as underdogs. Western Michigan was run off the court by the Wolverines on Tuesday as Michigan routed them 73-41 at Crisler Arena.

Last time out for Illinois State, they were an 81-67 loser as they battled Wyoming at home. They failed to cover in the match as an 8-point favorite. The Redbirds endured an 81-67 loss at the hands of the Cowboys on Tuesday, despite a 22-point effort from Tyler Brown at Redbird Arena.


Western Michigan Broncos Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 1-9
Before playing High Point are 1-0
After playing Michigan are 5-1
After a loss are 5-5

Illinois State Redbirds Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 5-5
After a loss are 6-4

A few Broncos at Redbirds trends to consider:
Western Michigan is 4-18 SU in its last 22 games on the road
Illinois State is 11-2 SU in its last 13 games at home


Next up:
Western Michigan at High Point, Sunday, December 16
Illinois State home to Morgan State, Sunday, December 16