SIU-Edwardsville vs Western Illinois Prediction 2/1/25 College Basketball Picks

The SIU-Edwardsville Cougars and the Western Illinois Leathernecks meet on Saturday in college basketball action from Western Hall. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a SIU-Edwardsville vs. Western Illinois prediction.

SIU-Edwardsville Recap

The SIU-Edwardsville Cougars come into this game looking to bounce back from a 65-63 loss at the hands of Lindenwood last time out to fall to 14-8 on the year. After this game, SIU-Edwardsville will head home for a game against Eastern Illinois.

Cougars Looking To Respond

Ray’Sean Taylor leads the Cougars in scoring and assists with 18.9 PPG and 3.5 APG while Brian Taylor II has 12.5 PPG, 4 RPG, and 2.7 APG this season. Ring Malith has 10.8 PPG with a team-high 6.7 RPG to lead the Cougars on the glass and to cap off the trio of double-digit scorers for SIUE so far this season. Desmond Polk also has 7.1 PPG with 3.1 RPG as well on the year. As a team, SIU-Edwardsville is averaging 72.8 PPG on 42.9% shooting from the field, 33.8% from behind the arc, and 66.8% from the foul line this season.

Why the SIU Edwardsville Cougars will win

• Western Illinois has lost each of its last seven games.
• SIU Edwardsville has won four of its last five games following a road loss.

Western Illinois Recap

The Western Illinois Leathernecks come into this game looking to bounce back from a 71-59 loss to Eastern Illinois last time out to fall to 8-14 on the year. After this game, Western Illinois will head on the road for a game against Tennessee State.

Leathernecks Lose 7th In A Row

Marko Maletic leads the Leathernecks in scoring with 15.9 PPG along with 3 RPG while Ryan Myers has 13.5 PPG with 2.8 RPG and Sean Smith has 12 PPG with 5 RPG and a team-high 3.9 APG and 1.6 SPG to lead the Leathernecks in assists and steals and to cap off the trio of double-digit scorers for Western Illinois up to this point in the year. Julius Rollins has 8.8 PPG with 4.1 RPG while Tay Knox has 4 PPG and a team-high 5.6 RPG to lead the Leathernecks on the glass up to this point in the year. As a team, Western Illinois is averaging 66.9 PPG on 43.2% shooting from the field, 35.8% from behind the arc, and 68.6% from the foul line so far this season.

Why the Western Illinois Leathernecks will win

• SIU Edwardsville has lost 12 of its last 13 road day games against the Ohio Valley Conference.
• The home team has won each of SIU Edwardsville’s last four games.

SIU-Edwardsville vs. Western Illinois Prediction

I’m on SIU-Edwardsville here. I get the case to be made for a home underdog in some spots, but not when that home underdog struggles to make it to 60 points if they even make it there at all. Western Illinois has scored 59 or less in three straight and 5 of their last 6, and SIUE is just in much better form coming into this game. The form on the road could stand to be a bit better for the Cougars, but even if this is a fade of Western Illinois more than anything else, I have to lay it with the Cougars in this one.