Halftime Report
Only one more half stands between Belmont and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead S. Illinois 43-31.
If Belmont keeps playing like this, they’ll bump their record up to 11-5 in no time. On the other hand, S. Illinois will have to make due with a 5-11 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who’s Playing
S. Illinois Salukis @ Belmont Bruins
Current Records: S. Illinois 5-10, Belmont 10-5
How To Watch
What to Know
We’ve got another exciting Missouri Valley matchup on schedule as the Belmont Bruins and the S. Illinois Salukis are set to tip at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday at Curb Event Center. The Bruins are strutting in with some offensive muscle as they’ve averaged 81.1 points per game this season.
Belmont took a loss when they played away from home on Wednesday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Saturday. They came out on top against UIC by a score of 92-87. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Bruins as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Belmont to victory, but perhaps none more so than Jonathan Pierre, who earned 22 points along with eight rebounds and two steals. Pierre continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he’s played. The team also got some help courtesy of Isaiah Walker, who went 6 for 10 en route to 18 points plus five rebounds and two steals.
Meanwhile, S. Illinois’ recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Sunday after their fourth straight loss. They were dealt a punishing 85-54 defeat at the hands of Illinois State. The Salukis were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 44-23.
Ali Dibba put forth a good effort for the losing side as he scored nine points along with eight rebounds and five steals.
Belmont’s victory bumped their record up to 10-5. As for S. Illinois, their loss dropped their record down to 5-10.
Keep an eye on the arc in Wednesday’s contest: Belmont has made nailing deep shots look easy this year this season, having averaged 10.6 threes per game. It’s a different story for S. Illinois, though, as they’ve been averaging only 5.9. Given Belmont’s sizable advantage in that area, S. Illinois will need to find a way to close that gap.
Looking ahead, Belmont is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 10.5 points. This contest might not be the best time to bet them against the spread since they’ve let bettors down the last four times they’ve played.
Odds
Belmont is a big 10.5-point favorite against S. Illinois, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 10.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
The over/under is 155.5 points.
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Series History
S. Illinois has won 2 out of their last 3 games against Belmont.
- Feb 14, 2024 – Belmont 82 vs. S. Illinois 68
- Jan 02, 2024 – S. Illinois 73 vs. Belmont 63
- Jan 01, 2023 – S. Illinois 63 vs. Belmont 45
