Little Rock Trojans vs Western Illinois Leathernecks Betting Pick & Prediction 2/8/24
Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Trojans versus the Leathernecks? Tip off is at at 8:30 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at Western Hall in Macomb, IL. The over/under for this Ohio Valley conference contest is set at 141 points, with Western Illinois being favored by -1 at home against Little Rock.
LITTLE ROCK TROJANS VS WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Western Illinois Leathernecks -1
This game will be played at Western Hall at 8:30 ET on Thursday, February 8th.
WHY BET THE WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-69 in favor of the Leathernecks.
- Not only will Western Illinois pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -1.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 141 points, and we like the over with a projected 145 points.
Does Little Rock Have What it Takes to Win as Road Underdogs?
Little Rock is 13-11 overall, including a 7-4 record in Ohio Valley play. The Trojans have won two straight games and are 4-7 on the road this season. They have gone 4-6 in their last 10 road games and 2-3 in their last five.
For the year, Little Rock has been the underdog in 12 of its 24 games, going 4-8 in those contests. As the underdog, the Trojans are averaging -1.5 points per game compared to +4.6 at home. They have won three straight games at home.
This season, Little Rock has an even 12-12 record against the spread. On the road, their ATS mark is 4-7, while they have gone 8-5 vs. the spread at home. As the underdog, the Trojans have a 5-7 record vs. the spread this year. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, Little Rock is 4-6 vs. the spread.
Little Rock’s over/under record for the season sits at 13-11 and today’s line of 141 is right in line with the average over/under line of 153.6 in their games. So far, 19 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. However, the average scoring total in their last three games is just 128 points.
In their latest game, Little Rock offense put up 77 points against UT Martin. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 41.8% and made 7 threes. Bradley Douglas was the leading scorer for the Trojans, putting up 17 points. In addition, Makhel Mitchell contributed 14 points.
Coming into today’s game, the Little Rock defense is giving up an average of 76.2 points per contest. In their previous game vs. UT Martin, the Skyhawks finished with a field goal percentage of 41% and a total of 57 points vs. Little Rock.
Can Western Illinois Live Up to the Hype at Home?
Western Illinois has been a solid team at home this season, going 3-2, and they have won four of their last five games at home. They are 7-1 as the favorite this season, and they have gone 8-2 in Ohio Valley Conference play.
Overall, the Leathernecks have gone 15-8 this season, and they are coming off of a 76-55 win over Southeast Missouri State. For the year, they have gone 8-6 on the road, and their average scoring margin at home is +4.6 points per game.
Western Illinois has an ATS record of 11-8 this season and they are 6-2 vs. the spread when they are the favorite. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Leathernecks are 7-3.
Western Illinois’ over/under record for the season is 5-13-1, and the average scoring total in their games is 134.2 points. Today’s over/under line of 141 is higher than the average OU line in their games this year (138.2), and their average margin versus the over/under line is -4. So far, 13 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s OU line.
Coming off their recent game, the Western Illinois offense tallied 76 points in a matchup against Southeast Missouri State. Their field goal percentage for the game was 52.7%, and they made 5 threes. The top scorer for the Leathernecks was JJ Kalakon with 15 points, while Quinlan Bennett also added 15 to the scoreboard.
This season, the Western Illinois defense has been impressive, holding the 35th position in the country while permitting an average of 65.2 points per contest. On average, opposing teams are hitting 4.7 threes per game vs. Little Rock. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 25.1%.