Cornell Big Red vs Illinois State Redbirds Matchup

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

Illinois State vs Cornell Prediction

The Redbirds and Big Red are set to face off at 12:00 ET on ESPN+. The Big Red will host the game at Newman Arena in Ithaca, NY. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 158.5 points, with Cornell being favored by -6.5 over Illinois State.

Illinois State vs. Cornell Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Illinois State Redbirds at Cornell Big Red
Where: Ithaca at Newman Arena
Date: Sunday, December 22nd
Betting Odds CORNEL -6.5, ILLST +216 | CORNEL -273 O/U 158.5

Redbirds Preview: Do the Redbirds Have a Shot at a Win at Ithaca?

Illinois State improved to 6-4 on the season with an 81-60 home win over Northern Illinois on Wednesday. The Redbirds were favored by 14 points going into the game and covered the spread. The total points for the game were 141, just over the O/U line of 139.5.

Leading 36-28 at halftime, Illinois State pulled away in the second half, outscoring Northern Illinois 45-32.

Redbirds Offense Breakdown

Illinois State put up 81 points in their latest game, shooting 50% from the field and 41.7% from three-point range. Their effective field goal percentage was 58.3%, and they connected on 78.6% of their free throws.

Quentin Jones led the way with 27 points, despite shooting just 1 of 6 from deep. Dalton Banks added 17 points, hitting 8 of 10 shots, while Johnny Kinziger contributed 12 points and 6 assists, knocking down 4 threes at a 50% clip.

Redbirds Team Defense

Despite Illinois State's defense giving up 60 points, they allowed the opposing team to shoot 50% from the field, with 20 of those baskets coming from two-point range at a 55% clip.

From beyond the arc, Illinois State's opponent hit 10 threes on 24 attempts, shooting 41%. They also went to the free-throw line 14 times, converting 11 of those for 78%. The Redbirds gave up 11 offensive rebounds.

Big Red Preview: Will Cornell Make it Happen at Home?

Cornell Big Red Recent Game/Games

Cornell improved to 6-3 on the season with an 88-80 road win over California on Tuesday. Entering the game as +9 point underdogs, the Big Red not only pulled off the upset but also covered the spread.

Cornell led 47-29 at halftime but allowed 51 points in the 2nd half while scoring 41. The game’s total points reached 168, just over the 166.5 O/U line.

Big Red Offense Breakdown

Cornell put up 88 points in their last game, shooting 49.3% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 56.7%. They were dominant inside, hitting 68.6% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 28.1% of their threes.

Joshua Ola-Joseph and Cooper Noard each contributed 21 points, with Ola-Joseph hitting 5 of 7 threes. AK Okereke led the team with 24 points and 6 rebounds, while Mady Sissoko was perfect from the field, going 6 for 6.

Big Red Team Defense

Cornell's defense gave up 80 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 43% from the field, connecting on 28 of 64 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 51% shooting, as the other team went 16 for 31 on two-point attempts.

From beyond the arc, Cornell's defense saw the other team hit 12 of 33 three-pointers, a 36% success rate. They also sent the opposing team to the free-throw line 16 times, where they made 12 free throws, shooting 75%. Cornell gave up 17 offensive rebounds in the game.

Redbirds vs Big Red Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last ten road games, Illinois State has an ATS record of just 8-2. However, their overall record was 4-6 while averaging 71 points per game.
Cornell has played well in their previous three home games, going 3-0 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 91 points per game while allowing 73. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-0.
Looking back on the team's last ten games as the underdog, the Redbirds have a straight up record of 6-4. Their record vs the spread in these games was 9-1.
Cornell has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 4-1 SU and 4-1 ATS in their last five games.