Illinois State vs Northern Iowa 12/31/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds
Northern Iowa Panthers (5-8) vs. Illinois State Redbirds (6-8)
December 31, 2022 3:00 pm EDT
The Line: Illinois State Redbirds +1.5 / Northern Iowa Panthers -1.5; Over/Under: +134.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Northern Iowa Panthers and Illinois State Redbirds meet Saturday in college basketball action at the Redbird Arena. The Northern Iowa Panthers look for their sixth win. The Illinois State Redbirds look for their seventh win.
The Northern Iowa Panthers are averaging 69.9 points on 45.7 percent shooting and allowing 66.5 points on 43.4 percent shooting. Bowen Born is averaging 19.5 points and 3.1 assists, while Tytan Anderson is averaging 14.1 points and 9 rebounds. Nate Heise is the third double-digit scorer and Michael Duax is dishing 1.2 assists. The Northern Iowa Panthers are shooting 33.5 percent from beyond the arc and 67 percent from the free throw line. The Northern Iowa Panthers are allowing 33.1 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 29.4 rebounds per game.
The Illinois State Redbirds are averaging 66.6 points on 42.9 percent shooting and allowing 68.4 points on 43.5 percent shooting. Kendall Lewis is averaging 12.1 points and 7.2 rebounds, while Darius Burford is averaging 10.9 points and 3.8 rebounds. Seneca Knight is the third double-digit scorer and Malachi Poindexter is grabbing 1.8 rebounds. The Illinois State Redbirds are shooting 32.8 percent from beyond the arc and 78.8 percent from the free throw line. The Illinois State Redbirds are allowing 32.8 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 30.5 rebounds per game.
The Redbirds are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 home games and 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games overall. The over is 4-1 in Redbirds last 5 home games. The over is 8-3 in Redbirds last 11 overall. The over is 4-0 in Redbirds last 4 Saturday games.
The Northern Iowa Panthers still have to prove they can win on the road, but there’s no doubt they’re the better team here. The Illinois State Redbirds are not only below .500 on the season, but they’re losing by an average of 1.8 points while struggling offensively. Northern Iowa has its issues as well, but it’s also a team that has a positive point differential on the year. I’ll lay the bucket.
