Eastern Illinois vs Butler Prediction College Basketball Picks 12/3/24

The Eastern Illinois Panthers are visiting the Butler Bulldogs on Tuesday, December 3rd at the Hinkle Fieldhouse. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s an Eastern Illinois Panthers vs Butler Bulldogs Prediction.

Butler Bulldogs Preview

The Butler Bulldogs have a 6-1 record this season and are coming off an 87-77 win in Mississippi State. The Bulldogs are 5-2 against the spread, and 3-4 in over/under, while having a 4-1 home record.

Offensively, Butler is averaging 77.1 points per game, which ranks 165th nationally. Defensively, they allow 64.7 points per game, which is 53rd in the nation. The Bulldogs shoot 47.2% from the field (96th) and 42.7% from beyond the arc, which is the 6th-best in the nation. The Bulldogs shoot 76.7% from the free-throw line (39th) and are grabbing 39.4 rebounds per game (75th).

Jahmyl Telfort leads Butler in scoring this season, with an average of 17.6 points and 3.4 rebounds, while Pierre Brooks adds 15.3 points and 5.7 rebounds. Butler will face Houston, NDSU, Wisconsin, Marquette, UConn, and Villanova following this one.

Eastern Illinois Panthers Preview

The Eastern Illinois Panthers have a 2-5 record this season and are coming off a 72-59 win over Northern Illinois. The Panthers are 3-3 against the spread, and 2-4 in over/under while having a 0-5 road record. 

Offensively, Eastern Illinois is averaging 67.3 points per game, which ranks 317th in the nation. Defensively, they allow 78.3 points per game (323rd). The Panthers shoot 42.1% from the field (284th) and  30.6% from beyond the arc (287th). The Panthers shoot 63.9% from the free-throw line (328th) and are grabbing 35.3 rebounds per game (247th).

Nakyel Shelton leads Eastern Illinois in scoring with an average of 18.4 points and 4.3 rebounds, while Kooper Jacobi adds 14.1 points and a team-high 9.4 rebounds.

Why the Butler Bulldogs will win

• Eastern Illinois has lost each of its last 21 road night games against non-conference opponents.
• Butler has won 77 of its last 81 games against non-conference opponents at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
• Eastern Illinois has lost the first half in each of its last 21 road night games against non-conference opponents.

Eastern Illinois Panthers vs Butler Bulldogs Prediction

In their only previous meeting back in 2021, Butler won 66-54 at home. In this Eastern Illinois Panthers vs Butler Bulldogs Prediction, Butler is coming as a -21.5 home favorite. Butler is better both offensively, scoring 5.8 points more than Eastern Illinois, and defensively, allowing 13.7 points less, as they have been winning by an average of 12.4 points per game. The Bulldogs boast elite shooting percentages, being a top-100 team in field goal percentage, while having the 6th-best 3-point percentage. On the other hand, the Panthers are struggling with their shooting, as they rank well within the bottom 100 of the nation in both shooting percentages. The value here lies with the superior home team, so take the Butler Bulldogs and lay the points at home.