Northern Iowa Panthers vs Southern Illinois Salukis Matchup

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

Southern Illinois vs Northern Iowa Prediction

Betting on today's Salukis and Panthers game? Catch the action at McLeod Center in Cedar Falls, IA, as the Panthers hosts this showdown at 2:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 145.5 points, and Northern Iowa is favored by -10.5 to win at home against Southern Illinois.

Southern Illinois vs. Northern Iowa Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Southern Illinois Salukis at Northern Iowa Panthers
Where: Cedar Falls at McLeod Center
Date: Sunday, December 29th
Betting Odds NIOWA -10.5, SILL +422 | NIOWA -604 O/U 145.5

Salukis Preview: Will the Salukis Make it Happen in Cedar Falls?

Southern Illinois dropped to 3-7 on the season after a 94-81 home loss to High Point on Saturday. Entering the game as +3.5 underdogs, the Salukis not only lost but also failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 175 exceeded the O/U line of 146.5.

After trailing 51-37 at halftime, Southern Illinois scored 44 points in the 2nd half but allowed 43, unable to make up ground.

Salukis Offense Breakdown

Southern Illinois put up 81 points in their last game, shooting 46% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 52%. They hit 54.5% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 29.4% of their threes (5/17).

The Salukis were strong from the free-throw line, making 81.1% of their attempts (30/37). Ali Dibba led the way with 27 points and 7 rebounds, while D'Maurian Williams added 24 points, despite going 0/3 from three-point range.

Salukis Team Defense

Southern Illinois struggled defensively, giving up 94 points while allowing the opponent to shoot 46% from the field. The Salukis allowed 54% shooting on two-point attempts, with the opponent making 18 of 33 shots.

From beyond the arc, Southern Illinois held the opponent to 29% shooting, with just 5 made threes on 17 attempts. However, they sent the opponent to the free-throw line 37 times, where they converted 30, shooting 81%. The Salukis also gave up 10 offensive rebounds.

Panthers Preview: Can Northern Iowa Lock in a Home Win?

Northern Iowa fell to 6-5 on the season after a 76-68 loss to Washington State on Saturday. The Panthers, who were +4 underdogs, didn’t cover the spread, and the total points of 144 fell short of the O/U line of 148.5.

After trailing 49-26 at halftime, Northern Iowa’s defense tightened up, allowing just 27 points in the 2nd half while scoring 42. However, their comeback effort came up short.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Northern Iowa struggled from beyond the arc in their last game, hitting just 4 of 22 threes for 18.2%, contributing to an overall field goal percentage of 39.3%. Their effective field goal percentage was 42.6%, but they found success inside, shooting 51.3% on two-point attempts.

Leon Bond III and Tytan Anderson each scored 17 points, with Anderson adding 10 rebounds. Nate Calmese contributed 16 points and 6 assists, while Dane Erikstrup was efficient, hitting 6 of 7 shots, including 3 of 4 from three-point range. LeJuan Watts added 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Panthers Team Defense

Despite Northern Iowa's defensive efforts, they gave up 76 points while holding the opposing team to 39% shooting from the field. The Panthers allowed 51% shooting on two-pointers, with the other team hitting 20 of their 39 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Northern Iowa's defense limited their opponent to just 4 made threes on 22 attempts, an 18% success rate. The other team also went 16/23 from the free-throw line, shooting 69%. Northern Iowa allowed 16 offensive rebounds.

Salukis vs Panthers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last five road games, Southern Illinois has averaged 74 points per game while allowing 75. The team's record in this stretch was 2-3 while going 2-1-1.
When looking at their past five home matchups, Northern Iowa has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 76 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
As the betting underdog, the Salukis have an ATS mark of just 3-6-1 in their last ten games. Southern Illinois posted a straight up mark of 1-9 in these matchups.
The Panthers have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 5-0 straight up and 5-0 against the spread.