The Northern Iowa Panthers (9-7, 3-2 MVC) will be trying to move up the MVC standings when they face the Illinois State Redbirds (10-6, 2-3 MVC) on Saturday night. The game will be played at CEFCU Arena, and it is scheduled to begin at 7 PM. ET.
The Panthers are coming off a 71-68 loss to Murray State as five-point favorites. The Redbirds are coming off a 69-51 loss to Evansville as six-point favorites.
Northern Iowa is 9-1 in its last 10 games against Illinois State.
Which team picks up the win? Read more in this Northern Iowa Panthers vs. Illinois State Redbirds prediction.
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Northern Iowa Trying To Snap Two-Game Losing Streak
The Panthers followed up their two-game winning streak with losses to Valparaiso and Murray State, failing to cover the spread in both games. They will try to put an end to the streak and pick up their third win in their last five games when they play on Saturday.
Northern Iowa averages 17 points per game. They scored 68 points in their last game, making 51.9 percent of their field goals and 30.8 percent of their three-pointers.
Trey Campbell led the Panthers with 17 points and three rebounds. Tytan Anderson finished with 15 points, four rebounds, and four assists, while Leon Bond III added 13 points and three rebounds.
Northern Iowa has played well defensively, giving up 67.8 points per game. They gave up 71 points in their last game and will need a better performance if they want to win this game.
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Illinois State Trying To Bounce Back From Loss
The Redbirds had their two-game winning streak snapped by Evansville in their last game. They will try to bounce back from the loss and pick up their third win in their last four games when they play on Saturday.
Illinois State averages 77.4 points per game. They scored 51 points in their last game, making 34.6 percent of their field goals and 29 percent of their three-pointers.
Malachi Poindexter led the Redbirds with 14 points and two rebounds. Chase Walker finished with nine points and four rebounds, while Landon Wolf added seven points and six rebounds.
Illinois State has played well defensively, giving up 70.7 points per game. They gave up 69 points in their last game and will need a similar effort if they want to get the win.
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Best Bets for Northern Iowa vs. Illinois State
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
The Redbirds have won six of their eight road games while the Panthers have lost two of their three road games. Illinois State has the edge in this game because they’re shooting the ball well, making over 49 percent of their shots in their last three games. They’ve also done a better job at the charity stripe, making over 78 percent of their free throws at home while the Panthers make less than 70 percent of theirs on the road. They do a good job of finding the open man and they rebound the ball well, grabbing more than six offensive rebounds per game, which will give them more scoring chances. They also don’t turn the ball over a lot and won’t give up a lot of easy-scoring opportunities. The Panthers aren’t playing well defensively and gave up more than 73 points per game in their last three games, so expect them to have a hard time slowing down the Redbirds. Go with Illinois State to cover the spread.
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
The Panthers played under the total in three of their last four games while the Redbirds played under the total in four of their last five games. Northern Iowa averages 76.9 points per game. They play at the 321st fastest pace in the country, averaging 67.5 possessions per game, and they’re facing a team that gave up 63.7 points per game in their last three games. The Redbirds average 77.4 points per game. They play at the 302nd fastest pace in the country, averaging 68 possessions per game, and they’re facing a team that is giving up 68.7 points per game. Don’t expect these teams to score enough points to push the score over the total. The Panthers and Redbirds played under the total in six of their last eight meetings.
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