Western Illinois vs SE Missouri State Prediction 1/3/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The SE Missouri State Redhawks and the Western Illinois Leathernecks will meet on Saturday afternoon 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 Saturday afternoon’s contest with a 7–7 win-loss record, including a 4–2 mark at home and 2-1 record in conference play. 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 month, Redhawks guard Marqueas Bell tallied 22 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists illustrating his ability to lead the Redhawks backcourt.    

The SE Missouri State Redhawks are averaging 75.7 points on 44.7 percent shooting from the field and 29.6 percent from three‑point range per game. Defensively, the Redhawks are allowing opponents 81.4 points per contest which ranks a dreadful 301st in the country.

Junior guard Luke Almodovar leads the SE Missouri State Redhawks averaging 13.9 points on 42.6 percent shooting from the field per game. Senior guard Braxton Stacker is averaging 13.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals per contest. Junior guard BJ Ward provides the Redhawks with further backcourt versatility averaging 11.1 points, 2.1 rebounds and 4 assists per game.

Western Illinois Leathernecks Betting Preview

The Western Illinois Leathernecks enter Saturday’s matchup with a 4–10 overall record, including an 0–3 mark in conference play. The Leathernecks have compiled wins over St. Ambrose and the North Dakota Fighting Hawks, while losing games to Iowa, Cal State Bakersfield and the Drake Bulldogs. Two days ago, in the Western Illinois Leathernecks 67–60 loss to UT Martin, forward Lucas Lorenzen posted 23 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.

The Western Illinois Leathernecks are averaging 64.2 points on 39.8 percent shooting from the field and 30.4 percent shooting from behind the arc per game. On the defensive side of the basketball, the Leathernecks are allowing opponents 78.3 points per game.

Junior forward Lucas Lorenzen leads the Western Illinois Leathernecks averaging 15.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1 assist per game. Senior forward Isaiah Griffin provides the Leathernecks additional perimeter production averaging 11.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1 assist per contest. Senior forward Antwaun Massey provides a presence inside averaging 10.8 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist per game.

Why the SE Missouri State Redhawks will win

•          Home court advantage. The SE Missouri State Redhawks are 4–2 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 Western Illinois Leathernecks will win

•             Frontcourt play. Junior forward Lucas Lorenzen leads the Western Illinois Leathernecks averaging 15.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1 assist per game

•             Defensive edge. The Western Illinois Leathernecks are allowing 78.3 points per game. Conversely, the Redhawks are allowing opponents 81.4 points per contest which ranks a dreadful 301st in the country

•             Motivation. The Leathernecks enter this matchup seeking their first conference win of the season.

SE Missouri State Redhawks vs. Western Illinois Leathernecks Prediction

This matchup features the SE Missouri State Redhawks efficient shooting and home‑court sedge against a Western Illinois Leathernecks team that has struggled to close games and defend consistently.

Additionally, SE Missouri State’s quality defense and rebounding profile match up well against a Western Illinois Leathernecks team that has been inconsistent on both ends of the floor all season and enter tomorrow afternoon’s contest with an 0-3 record in conference play. In my view, the SE Missouri State Redhawks combination of home performance, interior production, and recent momentum will lead the team to a win in this one. With that said, I like the Leathernecks plus the 14.5 points.

Hans Geevers's Pick: Western Illinois +14.5