Summit League foes will clash when the Western Illinois Leathernecks (9-15) take on the South Dakota State Jackrabbits (20-7) at Western Hall. The game starts at 3:00 pm ET on Saturday, Feb. 20 and can be seen on ES3.
The Leathernecks are hoping to rebound after their 63-54 loss to North Dakota State on Wednesday. Garret Covington finished with 21 points to lead the game. The Jackrabbits are coming off a 91-79 loss to IPFW on Thursday. George Marshall had a game-high 27 points.
Over the last five games, Mike Daum and Marshall have been hot for the Jackrabbits. During that stretch, Daum has averaged 17.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.4 three-pointers. Not to be outdone, Marshall has put up 19.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.8 steals, and 3.4 three-pointers.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Jackrabbits won the first game 63-59. Covington had a standout performance with 20 points, five rebounds, two assists, one block, and one three-pointer in the loss.
The Leathernecks have gone 9-15 Straight Up (SU) and 10-10 Against The Spread (ATS). Western Illinois has averaged 80.4 points per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 69.7.
As for their opponent, the Jackrabbits have 20-6 SU and 13-9 ATS records. Offensively, the Jackrabbits have really sputtered in the last 10 games. Their season average has fallen to 77.5 points per game after averaging only 65.6 during that stretch.
South Dakota State won the last meeting this season between these two teams, bumping its SU record over their most recent meetings to 10-0. The Jackrabbits also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, South 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 – SDakSt, ATS Winner – SDakSt
Notes
“Western Illinois is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games “.
“Western Illinois is 2-13 SU in its last 15 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Western Illinois’s last 9 games “.
“Western Illinois is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home”.
“Western Illinois is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Western Illinois’s last 6 games at home”.
“Western Illinois is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing South Dakota State”.
“Western Illinois is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing South Dakota State”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Western Illinois’s last 7 games when playing South Dakota State”.
South Dakota State holds a 9-4 SU record against the Summit League Conference this season, while Western Illinois has an abysmal 2-11 SU record against the conference.
South Dakota State averages 77.5 points per game (ranked 70th). Western Illinois, on the other hand, allows 69.3 points per game (ranked 103rd).
Ranked 50th, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits have an offensive rating of 112.2. The Western Illinois Leathernecks rank 162nd with a defensive rating of just 103.0.
Western Illinois has an average field goal percentage of 44.4%. South Dakota State is an even 4-4 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Western Illinois Leathernecks and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Western Illinois is 160th and 156th in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while South Dakota State is 98th and 85th in these categories.
South Dakota State, the 92nd-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 38.0 rebounds per game. Western Illinois does worse, ranked 234th with 35.3.
South Dakota State ranks 124th in offensive rebounds, while Western Illinois ranks at 85th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Western Illinois forces a turnover rate of 16.3%. When South Dakota State turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has an outstanding 12-4 record.
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