UT Martin Skyhawks vs Western Illinois Leathernecks Matchup

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

UT Martin vs Western Illinois Prediction

Betting on today's Skyhawks and Leathernecks game? Catch the action at Western Hall in Macomb, IL, as the Leathernecks hosts this showdown at 8:30 ET on ESPN+. UT Martin is favored by -1.5 in this Ohio Valley conference showdown. The game's over/under is currently at 134.5 points.

UT Martin vs. Western Illinois Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: UT Martin Skyhawks at Western Illinois Leathernecks
Where: Macomb at Western Hall
Date: Thursday, January 9th
Betting Odds TMRT -1.5, TMRT -122 | WILL +101 O/U 134.5

Skyhawks Preview: Can the UT Martin Offense Score Enough on the Road?

UT Martin improved to 3-9 on the season with a 66-63 win over Southeast Missouri State on Saturday. The Skyhawks were -2 favorites at home and covered the spread, while the game’s total points of 129 fell short of the 142.5 O/U line.

UT Martin led 33-23 at halftime but allowed 40 points in the second half while scoring 33 themselves, holding on for the win.

Skyhawks Offense Breakdown

UT Martin put up 66 points in their last game, shooting 40.8% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 49%. They hit 33.3% from beyond the arc, going 7-for-21, and connected on 46.4% of their two-point attempts. At the free-throw line, the Skyhawks were nearly perfect, hitting 19 of 21 for a 90.5% success rate.

Braxton Stacker led the way with 22 points, shooting 61.5% overall and 66.7% from three, hitting 6 of 9 attempts. Teddy Washington Jr. added 15 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, while Tarence Guinyard contributed 14 points. The Skyhawks recorded 11 assists and 10 offensive rebounds in the contest.

Skyhawks Team Defense

Despite UT Martin's defensive efforts, they couldn't hold their opponent under 63 points, allowing them to shoot 40% from the field. The Skyhawks gave up 13 two-point baskets on 28 attempts, a 46% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, UT Martin's defense allowed 7 threes on 21 attempts, with their opponent shooting 33%. They also sent them to the free-throw line 21 times, where they converted 19, shooting 90%. The Skyhawks gave up 10 offensive rebounds.

Leathernecks Preview: Can the Leathernecks Grab a Win at Home?

Western Illinois improved to 5-7 on the season with a 75-67 road win over Eastern Illinois on Saturday. The Leathernecks entered the game as +2 point underdogs but not only pulled off the win, they also covered the spread.

WIU led 37-29 at halftime and both teams scored 38 points in the 2nd half. The combined points of 142 went over the pre-game O/U line of 131.5.

Leathernecks Offense Breakdown

Western Illinois put up 75 points in their last game, shooting 51.9% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 63%. They were particularly effective from beyond the arc, hitting 12 of 20 threes for a 60% success rate.

Marko Maletic led the way with 25 points, connecting on 7 of 10 threes. Zion Fruster added 23 points, though he struggled from deep, hitting just 1 of 5 attempts.

Leathernecks Team Defense

Western Illinois held their opponent to 67 points on 40% shooting from the field, with 52% of those points coming from two-point range (22/42). They also limited their opponent's three-point shooting, allowing just 2 made threes on 17 attempts (11%).

From the free-throw line, Western Illinois sent their opponent to the line 22 times, where they converted 17 free throws (77%). The Leathernecks also gave up 13 offensive rebounds in the game.

Skyhawks vs Leathernecks Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last five games away from home, the Skyhawks have a straight up record of 1-4 while going 2-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 68 points per game in this stretch.
Across their ten previous home games, Western Illinois has an ATS mark of 4-6. Their straight up record in these matchups was 4-6 while averaging 64 points per game.
As the betting underdog, the Leathernecks have an ATS mark of just 1-2 in their last three games. Western Illinois posted a straight up mark of 1-2 in these matchups.
Going back to their previous three games as the favorite, UT Martin has an ATS mark of 1-2 while going 1-2 straight up.