Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles vs. Eastern Illinois Panthers Picks and Prediction for Saturday, February 21, 2026
Use Code WWWC A pair of teams looking to pick up a victory take to the hardwood in an Ohio Valley Conference tilt in the Prairie State as the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles are on the road as they travel to take on the Eastern Illinois Panthers Saturday afternoon and we have you covered with our Southern Indiana vs. Eastern Illinois prediction. Southern Indiana picked up a 77-70 road win over Western Illinois in their previous contest Thursday night, covering the line as a 2.5-point favorite. Eastern Illinois dropped a 73-70 decision at home to Morehead State Thursday night, failing to cover as a 1.5-point underdog, their last time out. In the all-time series between the schools, the Panthers hold a 5-4 advantage though the Screaming Eagles have taken the last two, including a 59-51 overtime home win in the first meeting this season January 22. Read more about this Southern Indiana vs. Eastern Illinois prediction! Struggling with handicapping? Get our top NCAAB Betting Picks and increase your bankroll!
Screaming Eagles Look to Beat Panthers for Third Straight Time
Southern Indiana snapped a six-game skid as they upended Western Illinois on the road Thursday night and now look to beat Eastern Illinois for the third straight meeting. The Screaming Eagles improved to 6-21 overall on the year and stand 10th in the OVC with a 3-14 mark in conference action. Against Western Illinois, Southern Indiana gave up the first six points and trailed by as many as seven before rallying to lead 30-29 at the half. The Screaming Eagles trailed by five multiple times in the second half, the last at 61-56 with 6:16 to go, and still trailed 68-65 with 2:13 remaining. Southern Indiana closed the game on a 12-2 run to earn the win. The Screaming Eagles shot 45.8% from the field, including three of 16 from three-point range, but won the rebounding battle 39-22 while going 20 of 30 at the charity stripe to the Panthers’ seven of 12 showing. Amaree Brown led Southern Indiana with 18 points in the win.
The Screaming Eagles enter this game 330th in the nation in scoring offense as they put up an average of 68.7 points per game. Southern Indiana is 74th in the nation in rebounding with 37.7 boards a night while they are 364th in assists by dishing out an average of 10.3 per game. The Screaming Eagles are average on the defensive end of the floor, ranking 181st in scoring defense as they give up an average of 73.7 points per game. Ismail Habib leads the team in scoring as he averages 15.2 points plus 3.8 rebounds per game. Amaree Brown (13.9 points), Cardell Lakes (13.3 points, 5.4 rebounds), Trey Thomas (11.8 points) and Kaden Brown (11.1 points) each average in double figures. Tolu Samuels, Ola Ajiboye, Sheridan Sharp, Josiah Dunham, Steven Clay and Devin Curtis are all important depth pieces for coach Stan Gouard. Southern Indiana is shooting only 38.7% from the field as a team on the season, putting them third-worst in Division I. The Screaming Eagles knock down an average of 7.7 three-pointers a night (192nd) and hit 30.8% of their attempts from beyond the arc, which is 331st in the country. Southern Indiana struggles at the free throw line as they convert only 64.4% of their attempts on the season, leaving them 361st in the country in that department.
Key Injury Report for Southern Indiana:
Get Free $30 Credit for Premium Picks + Exclusive Discounts
Subscribe Now
- No Key Trends
Eastern Illinois Shooting to Prevail at Home
Eastern Illinois battled but fell short against Morehead State as they suffered their sixth loss in eight games Thursday night. The Panthers dropped to 11-17 overall and stand tied for eighth in the OVC with a 7-10 mark in conference play. Against Morehead State, Eastern Illinois led by a pair early and trailed 22-9 midway through the first half before taking their biggest lead at 28-25 with 54 seconds remaining before intermission. The Panthers found themselves down 30-29 at halftime and led 49-46 with 9:44 to play and were tied at 56 with 5:54 to go before giving up 10 straight points that decided the contest. They got within one with eight seconds to play but couldn’t complete the comeback. Eastern Illinois shot 43.6% from the floor, including three of 16 from beyond the arc, and was edged 31-29 on the glass. Zion Fruster had 18 points, five assists and six steals to lead the Panthers in the loss.
The Panthers enter this game 342nd in the nation in scoring offense with an average of 67.3 points per game this season. Eastern Illinois collects 32.7 rebounds per game and dishes out an average of 12.4 assists per contest. The Panthers are above average on the defensive end of the floor by allowing an average of 70.4 points a game, leaving them 86th in the nation. Zion Fruster leads the team with 14.7 points plus 3.4 rebounds per contest this season. Andre Washington (10.5 points), Meechie White (10.3 points) and Kooper Jacobi (10.2 points, six rebounds) are solid secondary scoring options. Preston Turner, Terry McMorris, Markus Blackwell, Nazareth Fisher, Malik Olafioye, Andrew Austin and Prince Johnson are key role players for coach Marty Simmons. Eastern Illinois shoots 42.8% from the floor as a team this season. The Panthers connect on an average of 5.6 three-pointers a night while shooting 32% from beyond the arc. Eastern Illinois is above average at the free throw line as they cash in 73.8% of their attempts at the stripe.
Key Injuries for Eastern Illinois:
- No Key Injuries
Southern Indiana vs. Eastern Illinois Pick
Southern Indiana vs. Eastern Illinois Spread Pick
- Eastern Illinois (4 units)
We’re looking at a matchup of sub-.500 teams taking the floor here hoping to earn a win ahead of the final week of conference play. Southern Indiana took the first meeting this season in overtime but they are 3-9 on the road this season. The Screaming Eagles have dropped eight of their last nine games entering this contest. Eastern Illinois is 9-5 at home on the year and they at least shoot the ball slightly better than Indiana State this season. We’ve seen the Screaming Eagles be a miserable shooting team all year, ranking in the bottom 40 in field goal, three-point and free throw shooting this season. Look for the Panthers to do enough offensively, probably at the charity stripe, to emerge with a win.
Southern Indiana vs. Eastern Illinois Over/Under Pick
- Under (5 units)
Southern Indiana enters this game having seen the over post a 16-9 mark in their 25 games with a posted total this season. The Screaming Eagles are 192nd in three-point shooting but they are just 360th in two-point shooting (44.3%), contributing to them ranking a dismal 364th in field goal percentage this season. Southern Indiana is 33rd in offensive rebounds per game (13.1) and they are slightly above average in terms of tempo as they are 163rd in adjusted tempo with 67.8 possessions a game. Eastern Illinois has seen the under post a 14-11 mark in their 25 games with a posted number this season. The Panthers are 354th in offensive efficiency and 194th in defensive efficiency this season. While Eastern Illinois is 331st in effective field goal percentage (47.7%) and 279th in turnovers per game (12.6), the team are decent on the defensive end of the floor. The Panthers are 26th in three-point field goal percentage defense (30.2%) and 255th as opposing teams grab 11.1 of their misses on that end of the floor. Eastern Illinois is a slower-paced team as they are 258th in tempo with 66 possessions a night. Three straight meetings have stayed under the number and the teams combined for just 110 points last month. Take the under in this contest.
Betting on College Basketball?
- Join Winners and Whiners premium for free and get a free $30 coupon with code FREE30
- Get started and wager on college hoops today with our favorite online sportsbooks
- Claim a CBB betting bonus offer with the best sportsbook promos
Up To $1500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back if your First Bet Does Not Win
New Users – Bet $5 Get $200 in Bet Reset Tokens for 5 Days
