| MATCHUP | Tennessee State Tigers | Eastern Illinois Panthers |
|---|---|---|
| Team Records | 10-6 | 6-10 |
| Where | Groniger Arena, Charleston, IL | |
| When | Saturday, January 10, 2026 | |
| Time | 04:30 PM EST | |
| TV | ESPN+ | |
The Tennessee State Tigers and the Eastern Illinois Panthers meet Saturday in college basketball action from Lantz Arena in Charleston. Here’s a Tennessee State vs Eastern Illinois prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Tennessee State vs Eastern 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.
Tennessee State Tigers Betting Preview
The Tigers opened the season on a spotty 2-3 run with wins over only Fisk and Oakwood. Tennessee State would hit a 7-2 run over the next nine games though, beating UNC Asheville, Tennessee Wesleyan, Chattanooga, UNLV, Tennessee-Martin, Tennessee Tech and Little Rock with losses to Alabama A&M and SEMO. That would give the Tigers a 9-5 run through their first 14 outings.
In the Western Illinois matchup on Thursday, the Tigers posted a 42-28 advantage in the first half. Tennessee State kept it up from there on a 48-40 run and took the eventual win 90-68. Topping the scorers during that time was Travis Harper with 23 points and four rebounds. Antoine Lorick had 13 points with five rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes of work on the floor as well.
Eastern Illinois Panthers Betting Preview
Over on the Eastern Illinois side, they opened the season on a 2-3 run as well with losses to Valparaiso, Notre Dame and Kentucky. After losses to Central Arkansas, Purdue, Lindenwood, Eastern Kentucky and Iowa State, the Panthers beat SIU Edwardsville and East-West U before two more losses to SEMO and Tennessee-Martin. Over the first 14 games EIU could only muster a 4-10 overall record.
Matched up against Tennessee Tech on Thursday, the Panthers were down by seven points in the locker room. Eastern Illinois hit a 42-25 run in the second half however, eventually preserving a nice comeback win 71-61. Andre Washington topped the scorers on 20 points with two rebounds. Kooper Jacobi added 11 points with seven rebounds and a pair of assists in the win.
Tennessee State Tigers @ Eastern Illinois Panthers Betting Trends: January 10, 2026
Why the Eastern Illinois Panthers will win
- The home team has won 15 of Eastern Illinois’ last 17 games.
- Tennessee State has lost three of its last four road day games against the Ohio Valley Conference.
Why the Tennessee State Tigers will win
- The road team has won each of Tennessee State’s last four games.
- Eastern Illinois has lost nine of its last 11 home day games against the Ohio Valley Conference.
- Eastern Illinois has lost the first half in three of its last four home day games against the Ohio Valley Conference.
Tennessee State vs Eastern Illinois Prediction
I’ll lean toward Tennessee State. The Tigers played pretty well in their latest road win over Western Illinois. Tennessee State shot an excellent 55.7 percent from the field with a 37-32 rebounding advantage and a 50-40 edge in the paint, but did miss a few free throws (15-of-23 for 65.2 percent) along the way. Tennessee State has now won three straight games, scoring 84 or more points in each victory.
As for Eastern Illinois, they had a slow start this week versus Tennessee Tech but eventually shot 43.8 percent from the field with a 28-27 rebounding advantage and just seven turnovers. The Panthers also had a 32-20 edge in the paint during the victory. EIU is just 1-2 in their last three games though, posting fewer than 62 points in both losses.