College hoops betting interest focuses on the Southern Illinois vs Illinois State battle Thursday at Scottrade Center as the Salukis look to defend home court and cover the NCAAB point spread.

It's a game in the Missouri Valley Tournament, which will decide the conference title, not to mention deciding which teams make the Field of 68. This game is being played at a neutral-site court (Scottrade Center).

The Redbirds will look to vanquish their hosts on Thursday, as they are 8-16-1 ATS versus the spread this season, while the Salukis are 5-20 ATS. Illinois State is 12-13 against the total, while Southern Illinois is 12-13 versus the number.



View Illinois State vs Southern Illinois Odds and Stats.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Salukis sit at No. 271 in the current college hoops power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Redbirds sit at No. 246 on the same chart. The computers running our scores simulations have concluded that the Redbirds will win this game 60-59.



How They Match Up:
Rating these schools in several key categories is important for handicappers and Southern Illinois has the nation's No. 316-rated offensive output, at 61.3 PPG. The visiting Redbirds defense ranks No. 66 allowing on average 64 PPG. The Salukis FG% has averaged 42.6% so far, more than the Redbirds marksmen have achieved on the year, 42.4% per game.

Defensively, Illinois State features the nation's No. 149-rated defense on the road, allowing 69.8 points per game. Southern Illinois, meanwhile, comes in at No. 312 nationally in scoring at home.

Illinois State was a 73-67 loser in their most recent outing on the road against Evansville. They covered the 6.5–point spread as underdogs. The Redbirds endured a 73-67 loss at the hands of the Purple Aces on Saturday, despite a 12-point effort from Anthony Cousin at Roberts Stadium.

Southern Illinois was a 75-60 loser in its last match on the road against Indiana State. They failed to cover the 8.5–point spread as underdogs. Justin Bocot scored 24 points and chipped in with 10 rebounds for a double-double, but his team still lost 75-60 against Indiana State in college basketball action at Hulman Center.


Illinois State Redbirds Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 4-6
After playing Evansville are 5-5
After a loss are 2-8

Southern Illinois Salukis Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 9-1
After playing Indiana State are 5-5
After a loss are 3-7

A few Redbirds at Salukis trends to consider:
Southern Illinois is 13-6 SU in its last 19 games when playing Illinois State
Southern Illinois is 2-6 SU in its last 8 games when playing Illinois State
Southern Illinois is 2-9 SU in its last 11 games
Southern Illinois is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games