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| SIU Edwardsville Cougars | Southern Illinois Salukis |
| 2-9 | December 23, 2013, 08:05 | SIU Arena | 3-8 |
The Southern Illinois Salukis will try to pay off for their supporters on Monday when they play host to the SIU Edwardsville Cougars at SIU Arena in NCAA basketball action.
Southern Illinois battles the Cougars, currently sitting with a 2-9 mark (3-5 ATS). The OVER/UNDER records, always important for totals bettors, are 3-5-1 for the Salukis and 5-3 for the Cougars.
View SIU Edwardsville Cougars vs Southern Illinois Salukis Odds and Stats.
The Cougars were listed as 10-point underdogs at many online sportsbooks, including Sportsbook.
According to new college basketball power rankings here, it's the No. 242-ranked Salukis and the No. 338-rated Cougars in this matchup.
SIU Edwardsville was an 81-64 loser in its last match on the road against Chicago State. Rozell Nunn scored 12 points in a futile effort to lead the Cougars to a win (they lost 81-64 to Chicago State at Jones Convocation Center on Monday).
Southern Illinois won its last outing, a 66-58 result against Ball State on December 21. They covered in that game as a 6-point favorite. The Salukis grabbed a 66-58 win over the Cardinals on Saturday, behind a 21-point effort from Jalen Pendleton at SIU Arena.
How They Match Up:
Rating these schools in several key categories is important for handicappers and Southern Illinois has the nation's No. 210-rated offensive output, at 69.18 PPG. The visiting Cougars defense ranks No. 250 allowing on average 81.36 PPG. The Salukis FG% has averaged 46.44% so far, more than the Cougars marksmen have achieved on the year, 44.92% per game.
Next up:
SIU Edwardsville home to Robert Morris (Ill), Sunday, December 29th
Southern Illinois at Miami (Ohio), Sunday, December 29th
