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Planning on watching today's Leathernecks and Cougars game? Catch the action at Vadalabene Center in Edwardsville, IL, as the Cougars hosts this showdown at 4:30 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this Ohio Valley conference contest is set at 133 points, with the Cougars being the favored team playing at home against the Leathernecks.

WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS VS SIUE COUGARS BETTING PICK

The Pick: SIUE Cougars -6.5

This game will be played at Vadalabene Center at 4:30 ET on Sunday, December 31st.

WHY BET THE SIUE COUGARS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 78-68 in favor of the Cougars.
  • Not only will SIUE pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -6.5.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 133 points, and we like the over with a projected 146 points.

Can Western Illinois Grab a Win on the Road?

Today, the Western Illinois basketball team, who is currently 7-6, will face off against SIUE. The Leathernecks, who have a 2-5 record on the road this season, are 1-1 this year. Regarding their ATS record, Western Illinois is currently sitting below .500 at 4-5. However, when examining their performance in the last five games, they have gone 2-1 against the spread.

Looking at their over/under performance through 13 games, Western Illinois has an over/under record of 2-7-0, with their games averaging 137.3 points per game on average. Looking at the Leathernecks' last three games, their over/under record is 0-2 with their games averaging 131 points per game.

The Western Illinois offense is coming off a game in which they scored 65 points vs. Central Arkansas. Overall their field goal percentage was 52.2% while connecting on 4 threes. One area that the Western Illinois offense has been good this season is getting to the line. Currently, they are 78th in free-throw attempts per contest. Overall, they have a field goal percentage of 43%.

In the current season, the Western Illinois defense has excelled, sitting 83rd in the nation by allowing 67.1 points per game. Against Central Arkansas in their most recent game, the Western Illinois defense gave up a total of 54 points while allowing Central Arkansas to hit 31% of their shots.

Can the Cougars Deliver Being Favored at Home?

SIUE comes into their 15th game of the year with a record of 8-6. On the road, the Cougars are 0-6 and at home they are 5-0. As SIUE prepares to face Western Illinois, their ATS record stands at 7-3-1. In their last ten games, SIUE has gone 2-1-1 vs. the spread.

Looking at their over/under performance through 14 games, SIUE has an over/under record of 5-6-0, with their games averaging 136.9 points per game on average. Looking at the Cougars' last three games, their over/under record is 1-1 with their games averaging 139 points per game.

In their latest game, SIUE offense put up 67 points against Eastern Illinois. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 44.2% and made 8 threes. The top scorer for the Cougars was Damarco Minor with 15 points, while Shamar Wright also chipped in with 14 points.

The Cougars' defense is presently ranked 107th nationally, allowing an average of 68.7 points per contest. On average, opposing teams are hitting 6.6 threes per game vs. Western Illinois. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 28.6%.