Halftime Report

After a tough loss on the road their last time out, SIUE looks much better today on their home court. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Western Illinois 42-30.

SIUE came into the matchup with some extra motivation after the defeat they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We'll see if they're able to flip the script or if it'll just be more of the same.

Who's Playing

Western Illinois Leathernecks @ SIUE Cougars

Current Records: Western Illinois 7-6, SIUE 7-6

How To Watch

What to Know

Western Illinois is 4-0 against SIUE since November of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Thursday. After both having extra time off, both will dust off their jerseys to take on one another at 9:00 p.m. ET at First Community Arena. The Leathernecks are expected to lose this one by 7.5 points, so we'll see if that gives them a bit of motivation.

Two weeks ago, Western Illinois came up short against Lindenwood and fell 71-65. The over/under was set at 136 points, so nice work oddsmakers; you were right on the money.

Meanwhile, the point spread may have favored SIUE two weeks ago, but the final result did not. They took an 80-64 bruising from SE Missouri State. The Cougars have now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.

Western Illinois' loss dropped their record down to 7-6. As for SIUE, their defeat dropped their record down to an identical 7-6.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Western Illinois has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 36.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like SIUE struggles in that department as they've been averaging 38.9. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Western Illinois beat SIUE 76-65 in their previous meeting back in March of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Western Illinois since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.

Odds

SIUE is a big 7.5-point favorite against Western Illinois, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Cougars as a 8.5-point favorite.


The over/under is 134.5 points.

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Series History

Western Illinois has won all of the games they've played against SIUE in the last 8 years.

  • Mar 02, 2024 - Western Illinois 76 vs. SIUE 65
  • Dec 31, 2023 - Western Illinois 78 vs. SIUE 70
  • Nov 28, 2018 - Western Illinois 83 vs. SIUE 58
  • Nov 22, 2017 - Western Illinois 69 vs. SIUE 67