Pepperdine Waves vs Western Illinois Leathernecks Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Western Illinois vs Pepperdine NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Malibu.

Western Illinois vs Pepperdine Prediction

The Leathernecks and Waves are set to face off at 9:00 ET on ESPN+. The Waves will host the game at Firestone Fieldhouse in Malibu, CA. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 138.5 points, and Pepperdine is favored by -3.5 at home against Western Illinois.

Western Illinois vs. Pepperdine Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Western Illinois Leathernecks at Pepperdine Waves
Where: Malibu at Firestone Fieldhouse
Date: Wednesday, November 6th
Betting Odds PEPP -3.5, WILL +141 | PEPP -170 O/U 138.5

Leathernecks Preview: Can the Western Illinois Offense Score Enough on the Road?

Western Illinois Leathernecks Recent Game/Games

Western Illinois pulled off a 59-55 road win over San Jose State on Monday, November 4th. Entering the game as +10 point underdogs, the Leathernecks not only secured the win but also covered the spread.

After trailing 29-25 at halftime, Western Illinois outscored the Spartans 33-26 in the second half. The game’s total points (114) fell well short of the 134.5 O/U line.

Leathernecks Offense Breakdown

Western Illinois struggled offensively, scoring just 59 points in their last game, with a field goal percentage of 43.1%. Their effective field goal percentage was 51%, thanks to 55.6% shooting on two-point attempts (15/27), but they hit only 29.2% from beyond the arc (7/24). At the free-throw line, they connected on 8 of 9 attempts, good for 88.9%.

Sean Smith contributed 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Marko Maletic led the team with 14 points, shooting 4/11 overall and 2/6 from three. Will McClendon and Josh Uduje each added 13 points, with McClendon shooting 6/13 from the field.

Leathernecks Team Defense

Western Illinois put on a defensive clinic, holding their opponent to just 55 points on 35% shooting from the field. The Leathernecks were particularly effective at defending the three-point line, where they limited their opponent to just 3 made threes on 14 attempts, a 21% success rate.

Inside the arc, Western Illinois allowed 13 two-point field goals on 31 attempts, with their opponent shooting 41%. The Leathernecks also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 29 times, where they converted 20 free throws for a 69% rate. On the boards, Western Illinois gave up 6 offensive rebounds.

Waves Preview: Will Pepperdine Secure A Victory as Home Favorites?

Pepperdine Waves Records

Pepperdine finished last season with an 11-20 overall record, going 6-12 in West Coast Conference play. At home, they posted an 8-9 mark, with a +5.1 average scoring margin. On the road, they struggled, finishing 3-11 with a -12.5 average margin.

Against the spread, the Waves were 12-19, and they went 9-5 straight-up when favored. As underdogs, they were just 2-15. Their over/under record was 15-14-2, with their games averaging 147.6 points, slightly below their average line of 149.7.

Waves Offense Breakdown

Pepperdine averaged 72.8 points per game last season, ranking 205th in possessions per game. They shot 45% from the field, placing 199th in field goal percentage, and had a 50% effective field goal percentage, ranking 234th. The Waves made 6.8 three-pointers per game, shooting 35% from beyond the arc, good for 118th in three-point percentage.

Returning guard Moe Odum averaged 8.7 points and 4.6 assists per game last season, while forward Alonso Faure contributed 7.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Both players appeared in all 32 games for Pepperdine.

Waves Team Defense

Last season, Pepperdine allowed 74.0 points per game, ranking 231st in the nation. Opponents shot 35.5% from three-point range against them, placing the Waves 403rd in the country in that category. Pepperdine also gave up 18.1 free throws per game, ranking 159th nationally.

In terms of turnovers, Pepperdine averaged 5.1 steals per game, ranking 334th in the nation. They also averaged 2.7 blocks per game, placing them 295th in that category.

Leathernecks vs Waves Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last five road games, Western Illinois has averaged 64 points per game while allowing 61 . The team's record in this stretch was 4-1 while going 4-1 vs. the spread.
In their last ten games at home, the Waves have a straight up record of 3-7 while going 3-7 vs. the spread. The team averaged 70 points per game in this stretch.
Spanning across their last five games as the betting underdog, the Leathernecks have gone 2-3 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 2-3.
As the betting favorite, the Waves have an ATS mark of just 6-4 in their last ten games. Pepperdine posted a straight up mark of 6-4 in these matchups.