The Western Illinois Leathernecks will look to boost their win total and cover the spread when they tip off against the North Dakota Sioux at Western Hall on Thursday in NCAAB play.

The Leathernecks sport records of 4-4 and 4-0 ATS heading into this battle, while the Sioux have 5-6 and 0-0 ATS marks on the season. The OVER/UNDER records are 0-3 for the Leathernecks and 0-0 for the Sioux.



View North Dakota vs Western Illinois Odds and Stats.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Odds Shark Power Rankings have the Leathernecks at No. 85 and the Sioux at No. 305 heading into this contest. Handicapping models at Odds Shark project a 70-67 result in favor of the Leathernecks.



How They Match Up:
When it comes to rebounds, the visiting Sioux rank No. 295 in NCAA Division 1 with 32 per game. That compares with Western Illinois’s No. 262 ranking in that category. The story is different when it comes to three-point shooting where Western Illinois is college basketball's No. 307-ranked team at 4.5 per game, while the Sioux rate No. 136 with 6.6 per game.

Defensively, North Dakota features the nation's No. 300-rated defense on the road, allowing 79.8 points per game. Western Illinois, meanwhile, comes in at No. 266 nationally in scoring at home.

North Dakota was a 75-64 loser in its last match on the road against Sacramento State. North Dakota got 21 points from Jamal Webb but lost anyway, 75-64, to Sacramento State on Sunday at Colberg Court.

Western Illinois was a 57-56 loser in their most recent outing on the road against Illinois-Chicago. They covered the 1.5–point spread as underdogs. Ceola Clark III scored 17 points in a futile effort to lead the Leathernecks to a win (they lost 57-56 to Illinois-Chicago at UIC Pavilion on Monday).

Next up:
North Dakota at Kansas, Saturday, December 31
Western Illinois home to Eureka, Tuesday, December 27