Check out our free Illinois State vs Belmont pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Nashville. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
Illinois State vs Belmont Pick & Preview: Saturday, February 4th Betting Odds
Redbirds vs Bruins Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: Illinois State Redbirds at Belmont Bruins
- Where: Nashville at Curb Event Center
- Date: Saturday, February 4th
- Betting Odds: Illinois State +11, ILLST +450 | BELM -660 O/U 139.5
Redbirds Preview:
Illinois State will take their 2 game win streak into today’s game. So far, the team has an overall record of 10-14. So far, the Redbirds have played 11 games on the road, with a record of 3-8. For the season, Illinois State has been the underdog in 13 games, sitting with a mark of 3-10. Currently, the oddsmakers have the lines set with the Redbirds being +11 point underdogs.
Illinois State’s leading scorer this season is Seneca Knight, who is averaging 11.5 points per contest. So far, Knight has accounted for 16.91% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 6.0 rebounds per game and 1.38 assists. Darius Burford is the second leading scorer for the Redbirds, averaging 11.7 points per game. Between him and Burford, they are accounting for 33.4% of the team’s scoring.
On offense, Illinois State comes into the game looking to control the pace of play, as they are just 286th in possessions per game. Even with their preference to slow the game down, the Redbirds’ are scoring at a rate similar to the NCAA average at 74.2 points per game. So far, 36.91% of their shots have come from beyond the arc, where they have connected at a rate of 36.4%.
Bruins Preview:
Belmont heads into this matchup having played 24 games and have an overall record sitting at 16-8. Currently, the Bruins have been the home team 12 times, sitting with a record of 9-3. The Bruins’ are sitting with a betting line that is -11 points in their favor. For the season, Belmont has been favored to win in 17 games, sitting with a mark of 11-6.
Ben Sheppard comes into today’s game as the Bruins’ leading scorer at 19.46 points per contest. Not only has Sheppard been key to the team’s scoring efforts, but he is Belmont’s top rebounder at 5.38 boards per contest. Behind Sheppard, the team has benefited from the strong play of Cade Tyson, who is second on the team in scoring at 13.18 points per game. Overall, he has hit 46.9% of his shots and is adding 4.64 boards per game.
Belmont comes into today’s matchup vs Illinois State, looking to continue their strong offensive play, as they are averaging 78.5 points per game. Through 24 games, they have hit 48.9% of their field goal attempts. In terms of pace, the Bruins have preferred to slow the game down, ranking 357th in possessions per game.
Free Spread Prediction: Belmont Bruins -11
If you’re considering whether to make a bet against the spread in this matchup, we suggest betting on the Illinois State Redbirds team as +11 point underdogs. One obstacle that often hinders teams who are significant underdogs is being matched up against a team that can control the pace of the game. However, both Illinois State and Belmont come into today’s game with possession rates that are near the NCAA average. Given that the style of play won’t be a problem for the Redbirds and they have a 4-1 record against the spread in their last 5 games as underdogs, we think they will cover the spread at away.
