Valparaiso Beacons vs Southern Illinois Salukis Betting Pick & Prediction 1/24/24
Looking to win big? The Beacons and Salukis face off at 8:00 ET on ESPN+. The Salukis are hosting the game at Banterra Center in Carbondale, IL. The over/under for this Missouri Valley conference contest is set at 135 points, with Southern Illinois being favored by -14 at home against Valparaiso.
VALPARAISO BEACONS VS SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SALUKIS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Valparaiso Beacons +14
This game will be played at Banterra Center at 8:00 ET on Wednesday, January 24th.
WHY BET THE VALPARAISO BEACONS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 74-70 in favor of the Salukis.
- Even though we have Southern Illinois winning straight-up, we like Valparaiso at +14.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 135 points, and we like the over with a projected 144 points.
Can the Beacons Pull Off a Road Win?
Valparaiso has been a much better team at home this season, going 4-6 compared to their 1-7 record on the road. Their average margin of defeat on the road is -7.6, compared to -5.0 at home. As an underdog, the Beacons are just 2-11 this season.
Overall, Valparaiso is 6-13 this season, including a 2-6 record in Missouri Valley Conference games. In their last game, they defeated UIC 84-77. Over their last 10 road games, the Beacons have gone just 1-9.
As the underdog, Valparaiso has been solid vs. the spread this season with an 8-4-1 mark. Their ATS record is even better on the road, going 6-1-1 this year. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, they have gone 6-3-1 vs. the spread.
This season, the over/under record for Valparaiso is 7-11 and today’s over/under line of 135 is lower than the average over/under line in their games (142.3). So far, 11 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 and the average scoring total in those games is 140 points.
Coming off their recent game, the Valparaiso offense tallied 84 points in a matchup against UIC. Their field goal percentage for the game was 45%, and they made 8 threes. Isaiah Stafford is the current leading scorer for the team, with an average of 16.7 as they approach today’s matchup. In addition, Cooper Schwieger brings a PPG average of 11.2 into the game.
So far, the Beacons’ defense is ranked 149th in the country at 71.7 points per contest. So far, the Valparaiso defense is giving up an average of 9.6 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 11.5 times per game (527th).
Can Southern Illinois Pull Out the Win as Home Favorites?
After dropping their last three games, Southern Illinois returns to their home court where they have gone 8-4 this season. So far, the Salukis have been favored in 11 of their 19 games, going 10-1 in those contests.
Most recently, Southern Illinois fell to Northern Iowa by a score of 61-57. Over their last 10 games at home, the Salukis have gone 6-4, while their record over their last five games at home sits at 3-2.
When looking at Southern Illinois’ ATS record this season, they have gone 13-5. At home, their ATS mark sits at 9-3. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, they have gone 8-2 vs the spread.
So far this season, the over/under record for Southern Illinois’ games is 10-8 and today’s line of 135 is right in line with the average OU line in their games (136.7). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 130 points, which is lower than the season average of 137.1. Currently, their last three over/under record is 1-2.
Most recently, the Southern Illinois offense finished with just 57 points vs. Northern Iowa. For the game, they hit 6/26 three-point attempts and a field goal percentage of 37.7%. Xavier Johnson led the scoring for the Salukis, contributing 17 points. Additionally, AJ Ferguson chipped in with 12 points.
This season, the Southern Illinois defense has been impressive, holding the 33rd position in the country while permitting an average of 64.6 points per contest. Southern Illinois’ three-point defense is currently 8th in the country at 4.4 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 41.2% of their shots vs. Southern Illinois.