| MATCHUP | Bradley Braves | Southern Illinois Salukis |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 17-9 | 12-14 |
| Where | Banterra Center, Carbondale, IL | |
| When | Sunday, February 15, 2026 | |
| Time | 02:00 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
The Bradley Braves and the Southern Illinois Salukis meet Sunday in college basketball action from SIU Arena in Carbondale. Here’s a Bradley vs Southern Illinois prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Bradley vs Southern Illinois pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.
Bradley Braves Betting Preview
Bradley managed to win 10 of their first 16 games out of the gate this year, then took out Drake, Northern Iowa and Evansville in succession. The Braves lost to Illinois State and UIC over the next three games, but they’ve since gone 3-1 with wins over Drake, Valparaiso and Belmont with a loss to Northern Iowa. Over the first 26 games that gives the Braves a 17-9 record so far.
In their Monday game versus Belmont, the Braves were down by two points 33-31 going into the second half. Bradley managed to rally and tie it up to force overtime. The Braves scored 15 points in the extra period and pulled off the victory at home 95-84 in the end. Jaquan Johnson led the team on his 31 points with seven assists and four rebounds while Alex Huibregtse added 20 points with three boards and three assists.
Southern Illinois Salukis Betting Preview
Over on the Salukis’ side, they could only manage a .500 record through their first 16 games at 8-8 overall. Southern Illinois lost to UIC, Drake, Belmont and Valparaiso after that, then hit a 3-2 stretch with wins over Northern Iowa, Illinois State and Indiana State among losses to UIC and Murray State. Over the first 25 outings of the year that gave the Salukis an 11-14 record.
Matched up against Evansville on Thursday the Salukis were sitting in the locker room with a 43-32 advantage on the scoreboard. Southern Illinois got even better from there on a 43-28 run and cruised to the eventual victory at home 86-60. Rolyns Aligbe put up 18 points with seven rebounds and Drew Steffe added 14 points with seven rebounds and four assists in 33 minutes.
Bradley Braves @ Southern Illinois Salukis Betting Trends: February 15, 2026
Why the Southern Illinois Salukis will win
- Southern Illinois has won 34 of its last 41 games at Banterra Center following a home win.
- Southern Illinois has won the first half in 10 of its last 12 games against the Missouri Valley Conference at Banterra Center.
Why the Bradley Braves will win
- Bradley has won nine of its last 10 games after coming off overtime.
Bradley vs Southern Illinois Prediction
I’ll take a stab on Southern Illinois. The Salukis shot very well against Evansville this week, hitting 52.3 percent from the field with a 36-22 rebounding advantage and a 48-28 edge on points in the paint along the way. Southern Illinois has won consecutive games now, scoring a combined 166 points in that pair.
These teams last met up back on December 21 in a 73-69 road loss for the Salukis. In that one Southern Illinois shot pretty well from the field (44.3 percent) but not so well from 3-point range on just 15.8 percent (3-of-19). The 13 turnovers didn’t help, nor did Bradley’s 18-of-20 effort (90 percent) at the line. Southern Illinois has a bit to clean up in the rematch, but playing at home should be a boost.