Drake Bulldogs vs Southern Illinois Salukis Matchup

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

Drake vs Southern Illinois Prediction

The Bulldogs and Salukis are set to face off at 2:00 ET on ESPNU. The Salukis will host the game at Banterra Center in Carbondale, IL. Drake is favored by -6.5 in this Missouri Valley conference showdown. The game's over/under is currently at 127.5 points.

Drake vs. Southern Illinois Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Drake Bulldogs at Southern Illinois Salukis
Where: Carbondale at Banterra Center
Date: Saturday, February 1st
Betting Odds DRAKE -6.5, DRAKE -255 | SILL +205 O/U 127.5

Bulldogs Preview: Can Drake Pull Off A Win at Banterra Center?

Drake improved to 17-2 on the season with a 66-52 win over Northern Iowa on Wednesday. The Bulldogs were -7.5 favorites and covered the spread with the victory.

Drake led 36-24 at halftime and added 30 points in the 2nd half while allowing 28. The game’s total points of 118 fell short of the 122.5 O/U line.

Bulldogs Offense Breakdown

Drake's offense put up 66 points in their last game, shooting 50% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 61.4%, thanks in large part to their 62.5% shooting from beyond the arc, hitting 10 of 16 threes. Inside the arc, they struggled, shooting just 42.9% on two-point attempts.

At the free-throw line, the Bulldogs connected on 57.1% of their attempts, going 12 for 21. They grabbed 10 offensive rebounds and recorded 8 assists. Bennett Stirtz led the way with 20 points, shooting 63.6% overall and 66.7% from three. Tytan Anderson added 16 points, hitting 70% of his shots.

Bulldogs Team Defense

Despite giving up 52 points, the Bulldogs allowed their opponent to shoot 50% from the field, with 22 made baskets on 44 attempts. Inside the arc, the opponent shot 42%, converting 12 of their 28 two-point attempts.

Drake struggled to defend the three-point line, where their opponent hit 10 of 16 threes, shooting 62%. From the free-throw line, the opponent made 12 of 21 attempts, shooting 57%. The Bulldogs also gave up 10 offensive rebounds.

Salukis Preview: Will Southern Illinois Secure A Victory as Home Underdogs?

Southern Illinois Salukis Recent Game/Games

The Salukis improved to 8-12 on the season with a 79-75 road win over Valparaiso on Tuesday. Southern Illinois entered the game as slight -1 favorites and covered the spread. The game’s total points of 154 exceeded the over/under line of 150.5.

After trailing 34-29 at halftime, the Salukis turned things around by scoring 50 points in the second half while allowing 41.

Salukis Offense Breakdown

Southern Illinois put up 79 points in their last game, shooting 50.9% from the field. They connected on just 3 of 14 three-point attempts, hitting 21.4% from deep, but were strong inside, making 61.5% of their two-point shots. At the free-throw line, they converted 75.9%, going 22 for 29.

Jorge Moreno was perfect from the field, hitting all 5 of his shots in just 14 minutes, while Jarrett Hensley went 6 for 8, adding 9 rebounds. All Wright led the team with 22 points and 4 assists, and Kennard Davis Jr. contributed 19 points despite shooting 3 for 12.

Salukis Team Defense

Southern Illinois gave up 75 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 41% from the field on 26 of 62 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 16 of 33 shooting, good for 48%.

From three-point range, the Salukis' defense saw their opponent hit 10 of 29 shots, a 34% clip. They also sent the other team to the line 18 times, where they converted 13 free throws for 72%. Southern Illinois allowed 8 offensive rebounds.

Bulldogs vs Salukis Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their last five road contests, Drake has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 4-1, while averaging 69 points per game.
The Salukis are 3-0 ATS in their last three home games and 3-0 straight-up.
Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the Salukis have a straight up record of 3-7. But, their mark vs the spread was just 4-5-1.
Through their last three matchups as the betting favorite, the Bulldogs have a good straight up record, but their ATS mark is just 1-2.