VEGAS BET OF THE NIGHT!

Larry Bird is in the house! This is the year of redemption!

Indiana State at Southern Illinois – 8:00 pm

ISU SIU

FG % 48.2 45.7

3PT % 35.5 32.2

FT % 75.3 75.2

Indiana State (ISU) Sycamores (8-1, 1-0 MVC)

When was the last time ISU started 7-1, NEVER! The closest was a little known 1979 team that went 33-1 with the sole lost to Michigan State in the NCAAB Championship game. Good game between two unknown players, I think they were Larry Bird and Earvin Johnson…never heard of them!

ISU is ranked 15th in the nation in scoring with 84.1 points per game going against the 42nd ranked team SIU in 61.5 points allowed per game Who’s going to break? In the last 6 head-to-head games against ISU at SIU only once has the O/U totals been below 145 points. However, ISU is only 1-5 on the road vs SIU getting a win in February 2020, 77-68. The true adjusted scoring averages are, ISU Scores 81.6, Allows 69 with totals of 150.5 The toughest competition ISU faced was from Drake (Top 100 team) which is predicted to win the Missouri Valley (MVC) conference over Murry State. ISU won at home 79-75 (Drake is 7-1)

The Southern Illinois (SIU) Salukis (5-3, 1-0 MVC)

SIU is a tough defensive team, but their games have come against bottom feeders. They played two TOP 100 teams they went on the road to St. Louis and lost 72-85, no Defense in that game. They opened the season at Oklahoma State and were down 32-43 with 13:00 minutes left in the game and battled back to win 61-60. But what’s hard to understand is their other two losses, first against Southern Indiana (1st year in D1 Basketball) 53-71 and they are 2-5. Second, the loss to UNLV 49-56 which is respectable because UNLV is 7-0 but has played so poorly in every game.

TAKE: OVER 135

TAKE: Indiana State +4

TAKE: Indiana State Money line +155