Eastern Illinois vs SE Missouri State Prediction 1/1/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The SE Missouri State Redhawks and the Eastern Illinois Panthers will meet on Thursday evening in an Ohio Valley Conference matchup at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

SE Missouri State Redhawks Betting Preview

The SE Missouri State Redhawks enter Thursday night’s contest with a 6–7 win-loss record, including a 3–1 mark at home. The Redhawks have compiled wins over Tennessee State, Saint Xavier and Webster, while dropping games to Tennessee Tech, Lipscomb and the Iowa Hawkeyes. More recently, in the SE Missouri State Redhawks 91-82 victory over the Tennessee State Tigers last week, Redhawks guard Marqueas Bell tallied 22 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists showcasing his ability to lead the backcourt.    

The SE Missouri State Redhawks are averaging 76.5 points on 44.7 percent shooting from the field and 29.8 percent from three‑point range per game. Defensively, the Redhawks are allowing opponents 83.6 points per contest which ranks a dreadful 322nd in the country.

Junior guard Luke Almodovar leads the SE Missouri State Redhawks averaging 14.2 points per game on 43.2 percent shooting from the field. Senior guard Braxton Stacker is averaging 13.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.5 steals per contest. Junior guard BJ Ward provides the Redhawks with further backcourt versatility averaging 11.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.

Eastern Illinois Panthers Betting Preview

The Eastern Illinois Panthers enter Thursday evening’s game with a 4–8 overall win-loss record, including a 1–1 mark in conference play. The Panthers have earned wins over Nichols, SIU Edwardsville and Tifton, while losing to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Kentucky, Iowa State and Purdue. In the Eastern Illinois Panthers convincing 110–56 victory over East‑West University, Eastern Illinois guard Andre Washington exploded for 24 points (11 of 14 shooting from the field), 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.  

Eastern Illinois averages 62.3 points on 40.5 percent shooting from the field and 29.5 percent from beyond the arc per game. The Panthers are allowing opponents 79 points per contest.

Senior guard Zion Fruster leads the Eastern Illinois Panthers averaging 16.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Senior guard Andre Washington contributes 13.3 points, 3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1 steal per contest, while forward Kooper Jakobi provides the Panthers with a strong presence in the paint averaging 9.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 0.5 blocks per game.

Why the SE Missouri State Redhawks Will Win

• Home court advantage. The SE Missouri State Redhawks are 3–1 at home this season.

• Balanced scoring. The SE Missouri State Redhawks have four players that are averaging over 10.5 points a game.  

Why the Eastern Illinois Panthers Will Win

• Quality guard play. Zion Fruster and Andre Washington combine for over 29 points per contest.

• Defensive edge. In 12 games played in 2025, the Eastern Illinois Panthers are allowing opponents 79 points per contest. Conversely, the Redhawks are allowing 83.6 points per game.

•  Frontcourt play. Forward Kooper Jakobi provides the Eastern Illinois Panthers with a strong presence in the paint averaging 9.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.

SE Missouri State Redhawks vs. Eastern Illinois Panthers Prediction

This matchup features the SE Missouri State Redhawks quality guard play and interior play against an Eastern Illinois team that has struggled with turnovers and scoring consistency at times this season. The Eastern Illinois Panthers enter tomorrow’s contest with momentum from a recent blowout win, but the team’s abysmal defensive profile and turnover issues make this a difficult matchup on the road. With that said, I am backing the SE Missouri State Redhawks to win this game comfortably.

Hans Geevers's Pick: SE Missouri State -12.5