Summit League foes will collide when the IUPUI Jaguars (9-13) play the Western Illinois Leathernecks (7-11) at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Action begins at 1:00 pm ET on Friday, Jan. 29 and can be seen on EFC and ES3.
The Jaguars enter this game hoping for similar success after barely hanging on to beat IPFW 84-82 in their last matchup. Darell Combs was the team’s leading scorer with 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting. The Leathernecks, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 65-52 loss against North Dakota State in their last game. Tate Stensgaard played well for Western Illinois, recording 10 points, seven rebounds, and two assists.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Jaguars winning the first matchup 67-60. Combs had a stellar game with 22 points, four rebounds, one steal, and four three-pointers.
IUPUI is a six-point favorite against Western Illinois and the Over/Under (O/U) for this game is sitting at 140 points. The Jaguars have gone 9-13 Straight Up (SU) and 12-9 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (7-3).
In the other locker room, the Leathernecks have records of 6-8 ATS and 7-11 SU. The Leathernecks convert their three-pointers at a high percentage, ranking 26th in the nation at .391. Shifting to the other side of the court, the Leathernecks allow very few three-pointers on defense with 6.0 given up per game.
The Jaguars’ win over Western Illinois in their last game wasn’t enough for them to overtake Western Illinois in their recent head-to-head series. Their record is now 4-6 SU over the most recent meetings. The Jaguars lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-4. During their latest five matchups, neither team ever held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers.
Predictions: SU Winner – WestIl, ATS Winner – WestIl, O/U – Over
Notes
IUPUI averages 70.6 possessions per game, scoring .979 points on each possession. While Western Illinois averages fewer possessions per game with 67.7, they score more points per possession with 1.044.
The Western Illinois Leathernecks average an effective field goal percentage of 50.5% this season. The IUPUI Jaguars have a poor record of 3-8 when opponents have an eFG% of 50.5% or greater.
On average, the IUPUI Jaguars attempt 18.0 three point field goals per game and the Western Illinois Leathernecks attempt 18.0. In games where they attempt at least 20 threes, both teams have losing records; Western Illinois is 2-6 while IUPUI is winless (0-10).
IUPUI ranks 233rd in offensive rebounds, while Western Illinois ranks 76th in defensive rebounds.
IUPUI has forced an average turnover percentage of 18.6% this season. Western Illinois has a subpar 1-5 record when its TO% is 18.6% or higher.
