Check out our free Illinois State vs Valparaiso pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Valparaiso. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.

Illinois State vs Valparaiso Pick & Preview: Saturday, February 11th Betting Odds

Redbirds vs Beacons Matchup at a Glance

  • Sport: NCAAB
  • Teams: Illinois State Redbirds at Valparaiso Beacons
  • Where: Valparaiso at Athletics-Recreation Center
  • Date: Saturday, February 11th
  • Betting Odds: Illinois State +3.5, ILLST +142 | VALP -175 O/U 136.5

Redbirds Preview:

Through 26 games, the Illinois State Redbirds have an overall record of 10-16. So far, the Redbirds have played 12 games on the road, with a record of 3-9. For the season, Illinois State has been the underdog in 15 games, sitting with a mark of 3-12. Currently, the oddsmakers have the lines set with the Redbirds being +3.5 point underdogs.

Illinois State’s leading scorer this season is Darius Burford, who is averaging 11.84 points per contest. So far, Burford has accounted for 16.63% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 3.56 rebounds per game and 2.28 assists. Seneca Knight is the second leading scorer for the Redbirds, averaging 11.27 points per game. Between him and Knight, they are accounting for 33.1% 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%.

Beacons Preview:

Valparaiso heads into this matchup having played 26 games and have an overall record sitting at 10-16. Currently, the Beacons have been the home team 14 times, sitting with a record of 8-6. The Beacons’ are sitting with a betting line that is -3.5 points in their favor. For the season, Valparaiso has been favored to win in 8 games, sitting with a mark of 7-1.

Ben Krikke comes into today’s game as the Beacons’ leading scorer at 18.65 points per contest. Not only has Krikke been key to the team’s scoring efforts, but he is Valparaiso’s top rebounder at 5.81 boards per contest. Behind Krikke, the team has benefited from the strong play of Kobe King, who is second on the team in scoring at 16.27 points per game. Overall, he has hit 41.5% of his shots and is adding 4.15 boards per game.

Offensive production has been hard to come by for Valparaiso this season, as they are currently ranked 214th in college basketball at 70.8 points per game. A major reason for low scoring totals is the fact that they have played at a below average pace, and have struggled to knock down outside shots. As a team, the Beacons’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 33.3%, placing them 309th in the NCAA.

Free Spread Prediction: Illinois State Redbirds +3.5

In today’s matchup, our analysis has identified the best bet as an opportunity to bet on a road underdog. Coming into the game, the Valparaiso Beacons are the betting favorite with a point spread set at -3.5. However, we anticipate Illinois State putting up a strong fight and see them covering the spread. It is likely, the the public is going to side heavily with the Beacons as the favorite. But, we see this line being set too high and like the value of taking the Redbirds to cover.