Furman vs Illinois State Prediction 11/28/2025 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Furman Paladins and the Illinois State Redbirds meet Friday in college basketball action from State Farm Field House. Here’s a Furman vs Illinois State prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Furman vs Illinois State 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.

Furman Paladins Betting Preview

Furman didn’t start off the year very well, but to their credit the Paladins have been doing a lot better over the last few games. A 1-3 run kicked off the season for Furman, as they beat only Columbia International among losses to High Point, Troy and Northern Iowa. Since then however, the Paladins have won three straight. Those victories have come in succession courtesy of Ohio Christian, Queens U and Richmond. That gives Furman a 4-3 record through their seven outings so far this season.

In the Thursday matchup with Richmond, the Paladins were up 43-38 by halftime. Furman had to hang on during a 34-30 second half, but ended up winning a tight one 73-72 in the end. Leading the team in scoring was Alex Wilkins with 26 points, four rebounds and three assists. Asa Thomas added 20 points with three rebounds and three assists and Cooper Bowser had 10 points with five rebounds and three assists in the winning effort for the Paladins.

Illinois State Redbirds Betting Preview

Over on the Illinois State side, they started out the year on a shaky run at 1-2. The Redbirds beat Cornell in between losses to Ohio and USC during that time. Illinois State has since hit a four-game win streak though. The victories during that quartet of appearances have come courtesy of Long Beach State, Rockford, Coastal Carolina and Charlotte. That gives the Redbirds a 5-2 record through seven games thus far.

In Thursday’s matchup versus Charlotte, Illinois State went into the break with a 43-34 edge. The Redbirds closed on a 36-35 run the rest of the way for the victory 79-69. Leading the scoring with a double-double was Boden Skunberg with 20 points and 10 rebounds alongside a couple of assists. Chase Walker added 18 points with five rebounds and two assists while Ty’Reek Coleman had 13 points with one assist in 28 minutes of action.

Furman vs Illinois State Prediction

I’ll probably take a stab on Furman here, but you could call it either way. The Paladins shot quite well in their Thursday win over Richmond, hitting 51.9 percent from the field alongside 30 rebounds, 15 team assists and 28 points in the paint. The major blemish however, was at the line. Furman hit just nine of their 21 free throws, a 42.9 percent rate. It’s tough to win games like that. In any case, the Paladins have notched 73 or more points in each of their last three games (all wins) so they’re scoring well.

As for Illinois State, they looked pretty good on Thursday versus Charlotte. The Redbirds shot 48.1 percent from the field with 30 rebounds, 26 points in the paint and just six turnovers. Illinois State could have been better from the line though, as they shot a tepid 21-of-31 (67.7 percent) on free throws. During this four-game win streak, Illinois State has hit 79 or more points in each appearance. We’ll probably get a good total on Friday as well.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Furman Paladins +4.5