The Tennessee State Tigers (9-2) will attempt to keep their seven-game winning streak alive when they meet the Illinois State Redbirds (5-7) at Redbird Arena. Action gets underway at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Dec. 22 and will air on ES3.
The Redbirds lost to Saint Joseph’s 79-65 on Saturday. MiKyle McIntosh finished with 16 points to lead the team. The Tigers, meanwhile, are coming off an 81-76 win against Alcorn State on Saturday. Marcus Roper led the game in scoring with 26 points on 10-for-12 shooting.
Illinois State is an eight-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 132 points. The Redbirds enter the game with records of 5-7 Straight Up (SU) and 3-7 Against The Spread (ATS).
In the other locker room, the Tigers have been a poor bet so far, with a disappointing record of 0-1-1 ATS. Their SU record, 9-2, hasn’t been quite as bad. The Tigers have controlled the glass with an average of 40.8 rebounds per game, 50th in the country. Tennessee State’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .387 from the field.
These two meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. Illinois State won the last game in the matchup, bumping its SU record to 2-0 over the Tigers. The Tigers hold the advantage ATS with a record of 2-0.
Predictions: SU Winner – TennSt, ATS Winner – TennSt, O/U – Over
Notes
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Illinois State’s last 5 games.
Illinois State averages 65.8 points per game, placing the team just 311th in the nation. Tennessee State ranks 91st in points allowed, giving up 66.6 points per game.
The Tennessee State Tigers have a defensive rating of 94.4 (ranked 60th), while the Illinois State Redbirds have an offensive rating of 94.4 (ranked 320th).
Tennessee State has an average field goal percentage of 44.8%. Illinois State is a subpar 1-5 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Illinois State Redbirds average 20.0 three point attempts per game and have a losing 1-4 record when attempting at least 20 in a game. The Tennessee State Tigers average 17.0 attempts and have a winning 2-1 record when attempting 20 or more.
Tennessee State, the 50th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 40.8 rebounds per game. Illinois State does worse, ranked 251st with 35.3.
The Tennessee State Tigers rank 76th in offensive rebounds. The Illinois State Redbirds rank 303rd in the nation in defensive rebounds.
Opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 22.3% when playing Illinois State this season. Tennessee State is undefeated (4-0) when its TO% is 22.3% or higher.
