Watch Western Illinois Leathernecks vs. Eastern Illinois Panthers: TV channel, live stream info, start time

How to watch Western Illinois vs. Eastern Illinois basketball game

By Scout Staff

Jan 30, 2025 at 9:30 pm ET • 2 min read

Halftime Report

Eastern Illinois is on the road but looking no worse for wear. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Western Illinois 32-19.

Eastern Illinois has yet to find success away from home, so they have something to prove. Victory is within reach; will this be their lucky break?

Who's Playing

Eastern Illinois Panthers @ Western Illinois Leathernecks

Current Records: Eastern Illinois 6-15, Western Illinois 8-13

How To Watch

When: Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 8:30 p.m. ET
Where: Western Hall -- Macomb, Illinois
TV: ESPN Plus
Follow: CBS Sports App
Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
Ticket Cost: $16.80

What to Know

Eastern Illinois and Western Illinois are an even 5-5 against one another since December of 2017, but not for long. Both will face off in an Ohio Valley battle at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday at Western Hall. The Panthers are no doubt hoping to put an end to a 14-game streak of away losses dating back to last season.

Having struggled with seven losses in a row, Eastern Illinois finally turned things around against Little Rock on Monday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 56-54 win over the Trojans. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Panthers have posted since January 6, 2024.

Meanwhile, Western Illinois' recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Saturday after their sixth straight defeat. They fell victim to a bruising 72-51 loss at the hands of SE Missouri State.

Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Western Illinois struggled to work together and finished the game with only six assists. They were dismantled by their opponents in that department as SE Missouri State posted 15.

Eastern Illinois' win bumped their record up to 6-15. As for Western Illinois, their defeat dropped their record down to 8-13.

Eastern Illinois is hoping to beat the odds on Thursday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss. Neither team has fared well against the spread this season; they are 7-11, while Western Illinois is 5-13.

Eastern Illinois came up short against Western Illinois in their previous matchup on January 4th, falling 75-67. Can Eastern Illinois avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.