College basketball wagering interest will be high on Saturday when the Purple Aces of Evansville hit the hard court against the Redbirds of Illinois State.

The Redbirds sport records of 11-9 and 8-9 ATS heading into this battle, while the Purple Aces have 12-8 and 10-6-1 ATS marks on the season. The OVER/UNDER records are 7-8 for the Redbirds and 9-4 for the Purple Aces.



View Evansville vs Illinois State Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
Bettors looking to go with the Redbirds in this one found them listed as 7-point favorites earlier on the NCAA basketball betting menu for Monday's contest. Check for updates as money coming in on the Purple Aces was expected to move the line.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Redbirds - Purple Aces odds would favor the Redbirds if the lines were set according to our power ranks. Illinois State is rated No. 136 in the current Odds Shark poll, while Evansville is at No. 206. Mathematical models based on recent stats and predictive formulas point to a 76-73 win for the Redbirds.



How They Match Up:
The game also pits Illinois State's No. 40-ranked offense, averaging 75.2 PPG, against a Purple Aces defense that ranks No. 151 at 65 PPG. The Redbirds field goal percentage has averaged 46.6% so far, more than the Purple Aces marksmen have achieved on the year, 44.3% per game.

Defensively, Evansville features the nation's No. 188-rated defense on the road, allowing 70.4 points per game. Illinois State, meanwhile, comes in at No. 41 nationally in scoring at home.

Evansville won its last outing, a 66-56 result against Bradley on January 23. They covered in that game as a 7.5-point favorite. Evansville earned a 66-56 victory over Bradley on Wednesday, getting 19 points from Colt Ryan at Ford Center.

Illinois State won its last outing, a 60-58 result against Indiana State on January 23. They failed to cover in that game as an 8-point favorite. Johnny Hill scored 18 points leading the Redbirds to a 60-58 victory over Indiana State at Redbird Arena on Wednesday.


Evansville Purple Aces Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 5-5
Before playing Northern Iowa are 4-6
After playing Bradley are 4-6
After a win are 6-4

Illinois State Redbirds Trends:
When playing on Saturday are 5-5
Before playing Bradley are 3-7
After playing Indiana State are 4-6
After a win are 8-2

A few Purple Aces at Redbirds trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Evansville's last 9 games when playing on the road against Illinois State
Evansville is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games on the road
Evansville is 1-8 SU in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Illinois State
Illinois State is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Evansville
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Illinois State's last 7 games
Illinois State is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games at home
Illinois State is 9-3 SU in its last 12 games when playing Evansville


Next up:
Evansville home to Northern Iowa, Tuesday, January 29
Illinois State at Bradley, Tuesday, January 29