Southern Illinois vs Evansville Prediction 3/1/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Southern Illinois Salukis and the Evansville Purple Aces will meet on Sunday afternoon in a Missouri Valley Conference matchup at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.

Southern Illinois Salukis Betting Preview

The Southern Illinois Salukis enter Sunday’s contest with a 15–15 win‑loss record, including a 9-10 mark in conference play and a 6-8 record on the road. The Salukis have compiled wins over Illinois State, Northern Iowa and the Belmont Braves, while losing games to Murray State, Belmont and Drake.

Earlier this season, in the Southern Illinois 68-67 victory over the Belmont Bruins, Southern Illinois guard Quel’Ron House tallied 15 points (5 of 12 shooting from the field: 5 of 9 shooting from the free-throw line), 4 assists, 3 steals and 1 block showcasing his ability to lead the Southern Illinois offense.

The Southern Illinois Salukis are averaging 72.7 points on 45.3 percent shooting from the field and 27.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc per game. Shifting our focus to the defensive side of the basketball, the Salukis are allowing opponents 70.7 points per contest.

Junior guard Quinton House leads the Salukis averaging 14.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Sophomore forward Rolyns Aligbe adds 9.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1 steal per contest, providing Southern Illinois a strong presence in the paint.

Evansville Purple Aces Betting Preview

The Evansville Purple Aces enter Sunday afternoon’s game with a 7–23 win-loss record, including an abysmal 3–16 mark in conference play and a 5-9 record at home this season. The Purple Aces have compiled wins over Ball State and the Oregon State Beavers, while losing games to Bradley, Drake, SMU, Notre Dame and the Akron Zips.

In the Evansville Purple Aces 76–68 loss to the Bradley Braves earlier this season, Purple Aces forward AJ Casey tallied 21 points (8 of 14 shooting from the field), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal showcasing his ability to lead the Evansville frontcourt.

The Evansville Purple Aces average 65.5 points on 42.3 percent shooting from the field and 31.6 percent shooting from behind the arc per game. Defensively, the Purple Aces are allowing opponents 78.6 points per contest.

Senior forward Connor Turnbill leads the Evansville Purple Aces frontcourt averaging 11.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists and 2.4 blocks per game. Junior forward Joshua Hughes averages 9.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1 assist per contest, while freshman guard Leif Moeller provides additional scoring depth in the backcourt contributing 10.7 points per game.

Why the Southern Illinois Salukis Will Win

 • Guard play. Junior guard Quinton House leads the Salukis averaging 14.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

• Defensive advantage. The Southern Illinois Salukis are allowing 70.7 points per game. Conversely, the Evansville Purple Aces are allowing 78.6 points per contest.

Why the Evansville Purple Aces Will Win

• Frontcourt production. Senior forward Connor Turnbill leads the Evansville Purple Aces frontcourt averaging 11.5 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists and 2.4 blocks per game. Junior forward Joshua Hughes adds 9 points and 5.2 rebounds per contest.

• Enhanced motivation. The Evansville Purple Aces have lost 10 of the team’s last 11 games played this season.

Southern Illinois vs. Evansville Prediction

This matchup features a Southern Illinois team playing its best basketball of the season against an Evansville team that has struggled to generate consistent offense and has dropped ten of the Purples Aces last 11 games played this season. Evansville’s home floor may help the Purple Aces stay competitive in the first half, but Southern Illinois momentum, matchup advantage, and superior efficiency make the Salukis the stronger side in this one. For the reasons just noted, I am backing Southern Illinois to cover the 7.5 points in this game.

Hans Geevers's Pick: Southern Illinois -7.5