Halftime Report
After a tough loss on the road their last time out, SIUE looks much better today on their home court. They have jumped out to a quick 33-27 lead against Eastern Illinois.
SIUE came into the match with some extra motivation after the loss they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We’ll see if they’re able to flip the script or if it’ll just be more of the same.
Who’s Playing
Eastern Illinois Panthers @ SIUE Cougars
Current Records: Eastern Illinois 6-7, SIUE 7-6
How To Watch
What to Know
SIUE and Eastern Illinois are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2019, but not for long. Both teams will face off in an Ohio Valley battle at 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday at First Community Arena. The timing is sure in SIUE’s favor as the squad sits on six straight wins at home (dating back to last season) while Eastern Illinois has not had much luck on the away from home, with eight straight road losses dating back to last season.
It’s hard to win when your shooting is a whole 16.2% worse than the opposition, a fact SIUE found out the hard way last Thursday. They fell 75-64 to the Braves. The loss unfortunately continues a disappointing trend for SIUE in their matchups with Bradley: they’ve now lost three in a row.
SIUE’s loss shouldn’t obscure the performances of Damarco Minor, who scored 18 points along with six rebounds and four steals, and Ray’Sean Taylor who scored 20 points along with five rebounds. As a matter of fact, that’s the most points Minor has scored all season.
Meanwhile, after soaring to 87 points the game before, Eastern Illinois faltered in their match last Thursday. They were dealt a punishing 80-48 loss at the hands of the Cyclones. Eastern Illinois was surely aware of their disadvantage in the point spread, but the foreknowledge did nothing to prevent the result.
The Cougars’ loss dropped their record down to 7-6. As for the Panthers, they now have a losing record at 6-7.
Looking ahead, SIUE is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 8.5 points. They might be worth a quick bet since they’re sitting on a three game streak of covering the spread when expected to win.
SIUE came up short against Eastern Illinois in their previous matchup back in February, falling 84-73. Can SIUE avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We’ll find out soon enough.
Odds
SIUE is a big 8.5-point favorite against Eastern Illinois, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Cougars as a 8-point favorite.
The over/under is set at 136.5 points.
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Series History
SIUE and Eastern Illinois both have 5 wins in their last 10 games.
- Feb 11, 2023 – Eastern Illinois 84 vs. SIUE 73
- Jan 12, 2023 – SIUE 80 vs. Eastern Illinois 62
- Feb 21, 2022 – SIUE 66 vs. Eastern Illinois 52
- Jan 13, 2022 – SIUE 66 vs. Eastern Illinois 53
- Feb 02, 2021 – Eastern Illinois 70 vs. SIUE 61
- Jan 26, 2021 – SIUE 87 vs. Eastern Illinois 74
- Feb 29, 2020 – Eastern Illinois 70 vs. SIUE 52
- Feb 13, 2020 – SIUE 76 vs. Eastern Illinois 74
- Feb 14, 2019 – Eastern Illinois 79 vs. SIUE 65
- Jan 05, 2019 – Eastern Illinois 84 vs. SIUE 81
