Eastern Illinois Panthers vs UT Martin Skyhawks Betting Pick & Prediction 1/4/24

Looking to win big? The Panthers and Skyhawks face off at 9:00 ET on ESPNU. The Skyhawks are hosting the game at Kathleen and Tom Elam Center in Martin, TN. The over/under for this Ohio Valley conference contest is set at 150.5 points, with the Skyhawks being the favored team playing at home against the Panthers.

EASTERN ILLINOIS PANTHERS VS UT MARTIN SKYHAWKS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Eastern Illinois Panthers +9.5

This game will be played at Kathleen and Tom Elam Center at 9:00 ET on Thursday, January 4th.

WHY BET THE EASTERN ILLINOIS PANTHERS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-69 in favor of the Skyhawks.
• Even though we have UT Martin winning straight-up, we like Eastern Illinois at +9.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 150.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 144 points.

Can Eastern Illinois Grab a Win on the Road?

In today’s game against UT Martin, the Eastern Illinois team, which has a 6-8 record, will be playing. So far this season, the Panthers have gone 0-7 on the road and 2-1 at home. Heading into today’s game, Eastern Illinois has a 4-5-1 ATS record. Over their last five games, the team is 1-2-1 vs. the spread.

Up to this point, games involving Eastern Illinois have had an average of 131.3 points per game, with the average over/under line set at 138 points. Their over/under record is 2-6-2. When looking at the Panthers’ last three games, their over/under record is 0-2, with their games averaging 135 points per game.

In their recent matchup, the Eastern Illinois offense ended with 58 points against SIUE. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 30.6% and made 3 threes. Nakyel Shelton is currently the leading scorer for the team, entering today’s matchup with an average of 11.1. Meanwhile, Kooper Jacobi also brings a PPG average of 10.4 into the game.

Eastern Illinois’ defense has been playing well, ranking 43rd nationally, with 64.9 points allowed per game. Eastern Illinois’ three-point defense is currently 42nd in the country at 5.4 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 32.7% of their shots vs. Eastern Illinois.

Can UT Martin Grab a Win at Home?

UT Martin is set to play their 16th game of the season and currently have a 9-6 record. In their previous five home games, which includes last year, UT Martin has a record of 4-1 at home. UT Martin has a winning record against the spread at 6-5. In their last five games, they are 4-0 vs. the spread.

So far, UT Martin’s games have averaged 165.9 points per game with the average over/under line being 156.3 points. In their most recent three games, the Skyhawks’ over/under record is 1-1, with their games averaging 157 points per game.

The UT Martin offense is coming off a game where they scored 81 points against Tennessee Tech. They posted a field goal percentage of 43.8% and connected on 11 threes. Jordan Sears led the team in scoring, putting up 22 points. Additionally, Jacob Crews contributed 17 points for the Skyhawks.

Coming into the game, UT Martin will be looking to improve their defense, as they are currently giving up 80.3 points per game (277th). In today’s game vs. Eastern Illinois, the UT Martin defense will be looking to do a better job avoiding putting opponents on the line. In their last game, UT Martin made 16 free-throws vs. the Skyhawks.