The Western Illinois Leathernecks (7-10) are currently on an eight-game losing streak and will compete against the North Dakota State Bison (13-7) at Western Hall. The game starts at 3:00 pm ET on Saturday, Jan. 23 and will air on ES3.
The Leathernecks were beaten by South Dakota 76-67 on Wednesday. Tate Stensgaard played well for Western Illinois, finishing with 10 points, six rebounds, and one steal. The Bison are coming off a 79-74 loss at the hands of IPFW on Thursday. Kory Brown posted 23 points, nine rebounds, and two assists.
Brown has been on fire over the last five games for the Bison, averaging 14.8 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 1.0 three-pointer.
The Bison should minimize miscues in this matchup. They rank 28th in the nation at avoiding errors (TO% of 15.8%). Meanwhile, Western Illinois forces the 59th-fewest mistakes in the nation, with just 17.0% of opponents’ possessions ending in a turnover.
Western Illinois is a slight underdog, with North Dakota State favored by one. The Over/Under (O/U) is 136 points. The Leathernecks look to improve upon their records of 7-10 Straight Up (SU) and 6-7 Against The Spread (ATS). Western Illinois has averaged 66.0 points per game over the last 10 games, lower than its season average of 71.8. The Leathernecks are a dangerously accurate shooting team from the line with a .745 free throw percentage, one of the highest marks in Division I. Turning to the defensive side, the Western Illinois defense is very good at home, only giving up 60.5 points per game.
On the other side, the Bison haven’t fared well ATS, sitting at 6-11. However, they are 13-7 SU. The Bison are one of the top defensive teams in the nation, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 65.7 points allowed per game. North Dakota 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. Don’t expect North Dakota State to give away the ball much on offense, where its 10.7 turnovers per game ranks 20th in the country.
This is the first meeting of the season for these conference rivals. The last time they played, North Dakota State came out on top, evening up the two teams’ head-to-head record over their most recent games (5-5). The Leathernecks hold the advantage ATS with a record of 8-2. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, North Dakota State held the edge in all three of these categories once in the last five meetings. Western Illinois never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – NDakSt, ATS Winner – NDakSt, O/U – Over
Notes
Western Illinois scores an average of just 71.8 points per game (ranked 214th). North Dakota State ranks 48th in points allowed, giving up 65.7 points per game.
The North Dakota State Bison have a defensive rating of 97.2 (ranked 72nd), while the Western Illinois Leathernecks have an offensive rating of 105.6 (ranked 179th).
The North Dakota State Bison average a field goal percentage of 44.8% this season. The Western Illinois Leathernecks are a winless 0-8 when opponents have a FG% of 44.8% or greater.
The Western Illinois Leathernecks rank lower for their field goal percentage (132nd) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (123rd), but the North Dakota State Bison have a better FG% ranking (137th) than eFG% ranking (141st).
Western Illinois ranks 68th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.25. North Dakota State is ranked lower at 126th with an A/TO of 1.14.
The Western Illinois Leathernecks average 6.1 steals per game. When allowing 6 or more steals, the North Dakota State Bison are an even 3-3 this season.
