The Southern Illinois Salukis and the Oklahoma State Cowboys meet Thursday in college basketball action from Gallagher-Iba Arena. Here’s an Oklahoma State vs Southern Illinois prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Oklahoma State vs Southern Illinois pick.
SIU Salukis Betting Preview
Southern Illinois started out the year with a game versus Charleston and took a 45-42 deficit into the locker room. The Salukis were outscored 45-38 from there in a 90-80 loss. Tops in scoring during the losing effort was Elijah Elliott with 23 points and two assists.
Game two versus Missouri S&T went much better for Southern Illinois. The Salukis held a five-point halftime lead, then scored 48 more on the way to an 86-64 victory. Kennard Davis was tops this time with his 22 points, eight assists, and five boards.
Oklahoma State Cowboys Betting Preview
Over on the Oklahoma State side, they took on Green Bay last Monday in their opener. The Cowboys were only up by one point by halftime but eventually broke away on 50 more points in an 89-76 win. Bryce Thompson was the top scorer on the team with 22 points and five rebounds.
Oklahoma State was able to keep it going in game two versus St. Thomas. The Cowboys held a 10-point lead by the break and eventually bagged the win 80-71. Marchelus Avery led the way with 23 points and three rebounds in 25 minutes.
Why the Oklahoma State Cowboys will win
- Oklahoma State has won each of its last seven games against non-conference opponents.
- Southern Illinois has lost four of its last five games.
- Oklahoma State has won the first half in each of its last seven games against non-conference opponents.
Why the Southern Illinois Salukis will win
- Southern Illinois has won seven of its last eight games following a home win.
- Oklahoma State has lost each of its last seven Thursday night games.
- Southern Illinois has won the first half in four of its last five night games against non-conference opponents.
Oklahoma State vs Southern Illinois Prediction
I’ll probably just stick with Oklahoma State. The Cowboys weren’t exactly dominant versus a relatively good St. Thomas team in their last outing, shooting a tepid 27.3 percent from 3-point range (6-of-22) with a tie in rebounding (37-37) and assists (14-14) with the Tommies. Oklahoma State should be in control here, mind you, but I’d like to see a larger margin of victory.
As for Southern Illinois, they’re coming off 52.4 percent shooting and 40 rebounds against a soft opponent in their last appearance. The Salukis will have quite the uphill battle on Thursday and I don’t think they’ll get into a cover.