SIUE Cougars vs Illinois Fighting Illini NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/8/24
Looking to win big? The Cougars and Fighting Illini face off at 8:00 ET on None. The Fighting Illini are hosting the game at State Farm Center in Champaign, IL. The over/under for this game is set at 156 points, and Illinois is favored by -26.5 against SIUE in a non-conference matchup.
SIUE COUGARS VS ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI BETTING PICK
The Pick: SIUE Cougars +26.5
This game will be played at State Farm Center at 8:00 ET on Friday, November 8th.
WHY BET THE SIUE COUGARS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 78-69 in favor of the Fighting Illini.
- Even though we have Illinois winning straight-up, we like SIUE at +26.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 156 points, and we like the under with a projected 147 points.
Do the Cougars Stand a Chance in Champaign?
SIUE Cougars Recent Game/Games
SIUE’s season opener saw them fall 80-61 to Indiana on Wednesday. Despite being +27 point underdogs, the Cougars managed to keep the game closer than expected.
Trailing 42-30 at halftime, SIUE scored 31 points in the 2nd half while allowing 38. The game’s total points of 141 fell short of the 150 O/U line.
SIUE’s offense struggled in their last game, shooting just 38% from the field and 19.2% from beyond the arc, hitting 5 of 26 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 40.5%, and they connected on only 46.2% of their free throws.
Mackenzie Mgbako was a bright spot, scoring 31 points on 13 of 17 shooting, including 4 of 5 from three-point range. Ray’Sean Taylor added 17 points, but shot just 31.8% overall and 30% from deep.
Despite SIUE’s defensive struggles, allowing 80 points on 52% shooting, they couldn’t contain the opposition’s two-point attack, which hit 58% from inside the arc. The Cougars also gave up 14 free throws, with the other team converting 82% from the line.
From three-point range, SIUE’s defense allowed 6 threes on 16 attempts, a 37% success rate. They also gave up 9 offensive rebounds in the game.
Does Illinois Have What it Takes at Home?
Illinois Fighting Illini Recent Game/Games
Illinois opened their season with a dominant 112-67 win over Eastern Illinois on Monday. The Illini, playing at home, were -25 point favorites and covered the spread comfortably. The game’s total points reached 179, surpassing the over/under line of 145.
After leading 50-35 at halftime, Illinois clamped down defensively in the 2nd half, allowing just 32 points while scoring 62 of their own.
Illinois put up 112 points in their last game, shooting 48.4% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 60.9%. They hit 16 threes at a 38.1% clip and were strong inside, shooting 68.2% on two-pointers. At the free-throw line, they connected on 34 of 46 attempts, good for 73.9%.
Will Riley led the way with 31 points and 7 rebounds, hitting 5 of 6 from deep and shooting 76.9% overall. Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn added 21 points, making 4 threes at 50% shooting from beyond the arc. Kasparas Jakucionis contributed 11 points and 7 assists, while Tomislav Ivisic grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds.
Despite Illinois giving up 67 points, their defense struggled, allowing the opponent to shoot 48% from the field. The Illini gave up 31 made field goals on 64 attempts.
Illinois fouled the opponent enough to send them to the line 46 times, where they made 34 free throws, shooting 73%. The Illini also allowed 14 offensive rebounds.