Tennessee State Tigers vs Western Illinois Leathernecks Matchup

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

Tennessee State vs Western Illinois Prediction

Planning on watching today's Tigers and Leathernecks game? Catch the action at Western Hall in Macomb, IL, as the Leathernecks hosts this showdown at 4:30 ET on ESPN+. The odds for this Ohio Valley conference game currently have Western Illinois as the -1.5 point favorite with the over/under line sitting at 146.5 points.

Tennessee State vs. Western Illinois Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Tennessee State Tigers at Western Illinois Leathernecks
Where: Macomb at Western Hall
Date: Saturday, January 11th
Betting Odds WILL -1.5, TENST +105 | WILL -125 O/U 146.5

Tigers Preview: Taking a Look at the Tigers Chances on the Road

Tennessee State Tigers Recent Game

The Tigers dropped to 2-11 after a 72-62 road loss to Lindenwood on Thursday. Tennessee State entered the game as +2 underdogs and failed to cover the spread.

After leading 34-29 at halftime, the Tigers struggled in the 2nd half, scoring just 28 points while allowing 43. The game’s total points of 134 fell short of the 149.5 O/U line.

Tigers Offense Breakdown

Tennessee State's offense struggled from beyond the arc in their last game, hitting just 3 of 22 attempts for a 13.6% shooting percentage. Overall, they shot 39% from the field, with an effective field goal percentage of 40.7%.

Inside the arc, the Tigers were more successful, connecting on 54.1% of their two-point shots. They also grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and dished out 13 assists. At the free-throw line, they shot 61.9%, hitting 13 of 21 attempts.

Tigers Team Defense

Despite Tennessee State's defensive efforts, they allowed 72 points in their previous game. The Tigers held their opponents to 38% shooting from the field, with 24 made shots on 62 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Tennessee State's defense gave up 6 threes on 18 attempts, a 33% shooting rate. They also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 27 times, where they hit 18 free throws, shooting 66%.

Leathernecks Preview: Will Western Illinois Secure A Victory as Home Favorites?

Western Illinois dropped to 5-8 on the season after an 85-83 home loss to UT Martin on Thursday. The Leathernecks, who were favored by 1 point, failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points reached 168, going well over the 134.5 O/U line.

After trailing 45-42 at halftime, Western Illinois held UT Martin to 29 points in the 2nd half while scoring 32 themselves, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback.

Leathernecks Offense Breakdown

Western Illinois put up 83 points in their last game, shooting 48.3% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 55.2%. They dominated inside, hitting 61.8% of their two-point attempts, while struggling from beyond the arc, connecting on just 29.2% of their threes (7/24). At the free-throw line, they were solid, making 76.9% of their attempts (20/26).

Tarence Guinyard led the way with 31 points, hitting 6 of 13 from deep. Ryan Myers added 19 points, though he shot just 36.8% overall. Sean Smith contributed 17 points and 7 rebounds, shooting 61.5% from the field. Matija Zuzic was efficient, hitting 5 of 7 from three, finishing with 16 points and 3 rebounds.

Leathernecks Team Defense

Despite Western Illinois giving up 85 points, their defense did manage to hold their opponent to just 29% shooting from beyond the arc, with 7 made threes on 24 attempts. However, they struggled to contain the inside game, allowing 61% shooting on two-point attempts, with the other team going 21/34 from inside the arc.

Western Illinois also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 26 times, where they converted 20 free throws for a 76% rate. Additionally, the Leathernecks gave up 11 offensive rebounds in the game.

Tigers vs Leathernecks Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last five road games, Tennessee State has an ATS record of just 1-4. However, their overall record was 0-5 while averaging 70 points per game.
Through their last ten home games, Western Illinois has an ATS record of just 4-6. However, their overall record was 4-6 while averaging 64 points per game.
Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Tigers have gone 3-7 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 0-10.
The last ten games that Western Illinois was favored, they have an ATS mark of 3-7 while going 7-3 straight up.