Incarnate Word vs Illinois State Prediction 3/25/25 College Basketball Picks Today
Illinois State (20-14) vs. Incarnate Word (19-16)
March 25, 2025 7:00 pm EDT
The Line: Incarnate Word +6; Over/Under: 149
(Get latest betting odds)
The Illinois State Redbirds and the Incarnate Word Cardinals meet Tuesday in CBI Tournament college basketball action from Ocean Center. Here’s an Incarnate Word vs Illinois State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Incarnate Word vs Illinois State pick.
Illinois State Redbirds Betting Preview
The Redbirds have had their ups and downs this year so far, but they’ve managed to stay well above the .500 mark in the record column. Illinois State managed to go 10-5 over their first 15 games in a decent start, losing to TN-Martin, McNeese, George Washington, Belmont and UIC along the way. A 2-4 run came next with losses to Evansville, Northern Iowa, Drake and Bradley, then a 6-4 stretch to finish off the season. The wins in that time were versus Belmont, Valparaiso, UIC, Bradley, Missouri State and Evansville. The Redbirds would take out Missouri State in conference tournament action on March 6, then the team fell to Belmont the next day. Illinois State bounced back with a CBI win over Presbyterian, giving them a 20-14 overall record so far this season.
On Sunday versus Presbyterian, Illinois State held a 33-30 edge by the break. The Redbirds finished off on a 45-40 second half and took the victory in the end 78-70. Leading the team in scoring was Chase Walker with 20 points, nine rebounds and two assists. Both Johnny Kinziger (three rebounds; three steals) and Dalton Banks (five assists; three rebounds) each chipped in 10 points. Tops off the bench was Ty Pence with 17 points, six rebounds and two assists in 30 minutes of work on the court during the victory effort.
Incarnate Word Cardinals Betting Preview
Over on the Cardinals’ side, they’ve had a choppy run most of the way. That said, Incarnate Word has looked pretty solid over their last couple of games during this CBI Tournament run. The Cardinals opened the season on a 9-5 run, then took losses to Lamar, Houston Christian, Nicholls, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, UTRGV and SE Louisiana. A 3-3 stretch came next with losses to McNeese, SE Louisiana and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, then wins over UTRGV, Stephen F. Austin, Lamar and East Texas A&M. The Cardinals ended up losing to Nicholls in the conference tournament, but they’ve since taken out Manhattan and Jacksonville during the CBI run. That gives Incarnate Word a 19-16 overall record so far this season through 35 games.
In CBI action Monday versus Jacksonville, the Cardinals were up 40-32 at the break and cruised to the 87-71 victory with 47 second-half points. Leading the scoring was Davion Bailey with 23 points and four rebounds. Jalin Anderson added 22 points, five boards, five assists and five steals.
Why the Incarnate Word Cardinals will win
- Illinois State has lost eight of its last 10 night games against non-AP-ranked opponents at a neutral venue.
- Incarnate Word has won four of its last five games played at neutral venues.
- Incarnate Word has won the first half in four of its last five games against non-AP-ranked opponents at a neutral venue.
Why the Illinois State Redbirds will win
- Illinois State has won each of its last five night games against non-Conference opponents.
- Incarnate Word has lost each of its last three night games against non-Conference opponents.
Total Points Facts
- Each of Incarnate Word’s last eight night games against non-AP-ranked opponents have produced a total of 144 or fewer points.
- Ten of Illinois State’s last 11 games against non-AP-ranked opponents at a neutral venue have produced a total of 148 or fewer points.
Matchup/League Facts
- Incarnate Word ranks 23rd among Division 1 teams for opponent rebounds per game this season (31.1).
- Incarnate Word ranks T35th among Division 1 teams for opponent three-point field goals made per game this season (6.4).
- Illinois State ranks 15th among Division 1 teams for true shooting percentage this season (60.1%).
- Illinois State ranks 19th among Division 1 teams for opponent steals per game this season (5.3).
Incarnate Word vs Illinois State Prediction
I’m likely going to take a stab on Illinois State, but it’s a coin flip. The line seems thick enough for Incarnate Word to potentially get in there. That said, the Redbirds didn’t have too many issues with a middling Presbyterian team in their last outing, hitting a nice 60 percent from the field with a 30-24 rebounding edge and 12-of-14 (85.7 percent) from the line. Outside of the 45.6 percent shooting allowed, the only real blemish for the Redbirds in that one was the 14 rebounds for 16 Blue Hose points. Still, it was a nice scoring outing for Illinois State (78 points), especially after finishing below 64 points in two of the previous three games. If the Redbirds can fix the ball-control issues and keep the offense humming here, they should be in good shape.
As for Incarnate Word, they’re coming off an impressive performance versus Jacksonville on Monday. The Cardinals shot a nice 54.4 percent from the field in that one and scored 21 points off 18 Dolphins turnovers. The 17-of-28 (60.7 percent) from the line and the 38-29 rebounding deficit could stand some improvement, but Incarnate Word should serve as a stout test for Illinois State. It’ll be a good one to watch.
