The Missouri Valley’s top team will be on the road when the Southern Illinois Salukis (18-4) head to McLeod Center to play the Northern Iowa Panthers (11-11). Action begins at 4:00 pm ET on Sunday, Jan. 31 and can be seen on ES3.
The Panthers enter this game hoping for similar success after dismantling Bradley 68-50 on Wednesday. Paul Jesperson was the game’s leading scorer with 28 points on 9-for-13 shooting. The Salukis, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 85-78 loss against Evansville on Thursday. Sean O’Brien had a good game for Southern Illinois, registering 16 points, seven rebounds, and three assists.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Salukis winning the first matchup 75-73. Anthony Beane had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 32 points, two rebounds, one assist, one steal, and six three-pointers.
Northern Iowa is a four-point favorite against Southern Illinois and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at 141 points. The Panthers come into this game 11-11 Straight Up (SU) and 9-12 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 3-7 ATS. The Panthers are one of the best in Division I in terms of three-point field goals, making 8.0 shots per game from beyond the arc. Northern Iowa will look to take advantage of the Salukis and their propensity to foul. Southern Illinois ranks 312th in the nation in fouls, averaging 21.9 per game.
Over on the other bench, the Salukis have records of 12-8 ATS and 18-4 SU. Southern Illinois performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record. The Salukis convert their shots at a high percentage, ranking 40th in the country at .474. Moving on to the Southern Illinois defense, the Salukis allow just 66.1 points per road game, ranking them 22nd in the nation.
With the Salukis’ last win against Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois moved closer to evening up its record against Northern Iowa. It now stands at 4-6 SU over their most recent meetings. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record. Northern Iowa and Southern Illinois each held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time over the last five matchups.
Predictions: SU Winner – SIU, ATS Winner – SIU, O/U – Over
Notes
Northern Iowa is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games.
Northern Iowa is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Northern Iowa’s last 7 games.
Northern Iowa is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Northern Iowa’s last 6 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Northern Iowa’s last 5 games when playing Southern Illinois.
Southern Illinois sits at 7-2 SU against the conference, while Northern Iowa is 3-6 SU.
Northern Iowa scores just 71.5 points per home game (ranked 286th). Southern Illinois ranks 22nd in points allowed on the road, giving up 66.1 points.
In its last game, Northern Iowa won by a margin of 18 points. Southern Illinois is 4-1 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Northern Iowa has a 6-2 record in blowouts.
Ranked 93rd, the Southern Illinois Salukis have an offensive rating of 109.6. The Northern Iowa Panthers rank 160th with a defensive rating of just 102.2.
Northern Iowa has an average field goal percentage of 46.5%. Southern Illinois is a winning 6-3 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Northern Iowa Panthers average 22.0 three point attempts per game and are 8-9 when attempting at least 20 in a game. The Southern Illinois Salukis average 18.0 attempts and have a tremendous record (7-2) when attempting 20 or more.
On average, Northern Iowa makes 5.6 steals per game. Southern Illinois has a fantastic 12-3 record when it gives up at least 5 steals.
