In their final home game of the season, the Illinois State Redbirds (16-11) host the Indiana State Sycamores (13-13) at Redbird Arena. The game begins at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 17 and can be seen on ES3.
The Redbirds were victorious over Bradley 75-60 on Sunday. MiKyle McIntosh was the team’s high scorer with 14 points on 3-for-4 shooting. The Sycamores, meanwhile, are coming off an 89-85 loss at the hands of Missouri State on Saturday. Devonte Brown had a good shooting night, leading the team with 26 points.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Sycamores winning the first matchup 77-65. Brenton Scott had a stellar game with 25 points, nine rebounds, three steals, and five three-pointers.
The Redbirds have gone 16-11 Straight Up (SU) and 12-13 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have only managed a record of 2-7-1 ATS. Illinois State has averaged 73.2 points per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 67.3. Crossing over to the defensive side of the court, teams routinely struggle to score points against the Redbirds, who allow only 66.7 points per game. Illinois State will look to take advantage of the Sycamores and their propensity to foul. Indiana State ranks 332nd in the nation in fouls, averaging 22.4 per game.
Over on the other bench, Indiana State has a SU record of 13-13 and an ATS record of 13-11-1. Indiana State is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the nation, making 16.0 shots from the line per game. Indiana State’s three-point defense is one of the top in the country, with opponents making only 5.0 shots from the three-point line per game.
Following the Sycamores’ latest win over Illinois State, their SU record rises to 7-3 over Illinois State in their most recent games. Furthermore, Indiana State leads the matchup ATS with a record of 8-2. Illinois State and Indiana State each held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once over the last five matchups.
Predictions: SU Winner – IllSt, ATS Winner – IllSt
Notes
Indiana State scores an average of just 70.8 points per game (ranked 183rd). Illinois State ranks 50th in points allowed, giving up 66.7 points per game.
The Indiana State Sycamores have a defensive rating of 98.6 (ranked 77th), while the Illinois State Redbirds have an offensive rating of 99.5 (ranked 288th).
With 67.6 possessions and .995 points per possession, the Illinois State Redbirds perform worse on both metrics than the Indiana State Sycamores. Indiana State averages 70.7 possessions and 1.001 points per possession.
Illinois State has an average effective field goal percentage of 47.5%. Indiana State is a losing 3-8 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
On average, the Illinois State Redbirds attempt 21.0 three point field goals per game and the Indiana State Sycamores attempt 21.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, Illinois State has a 9-7 record and Indiana State has a 10-8 record.
Illinois State ranks 157th in offensive rebounds, while Indiana State ranks 68th in defensive rebounds.
Illinois State averages a forced turnover rate of 21.1% this season. Indiana State has a 4-6 record when it suffers a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
