How to watch Southern Illinois Salukis vs. Missouri State Bears: Live stream, TV channel, start time for Wednesday's NCAA Basketball game

Halftime Report

Only one more half stands between Southern Illinois and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Missouri State 42-31.

If Southern Illinois keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 15-7 in no time. On the other hand, Missouri State will have to make due with a 12-10 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who's Playing

Missouri State Bears @ Southern Illinois Salukis

Current Records: Missouri State 12-9, Southern Illinois 14-7

How To Watch

When: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: Banterra Center -- Carbondale, Illinois
Follow: CBS Sports App
Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
Ticket Cost: $18.43

What to Know

We've got another exciting Missouri Valley matchup on schedule as the Missouri State Bears and the Southern Illinois Salukis are set to tip at 8:00 p.m. ET on January 31st at Banterra Center. Both teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Last Saturday, the Bears were able to grind out a solid win over the Beacons, taking the game 81-70. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Missouri State.

Missouri State's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Alston Mason, who shot 4-for-7 from downtown and almost dropped a double-double on 22 points and nine assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Cesare Edwards, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Meanwhile, the Salukis skirted by the Racers 60-58 on Saturday on a last-minute layup from Xavier Johnson with 2 seconds left in the second quarter. The victory was all the more spectacular given Southern Illinois was down 20 points with 14:10 left in the second half.

Southern Illinois' success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but AJ Ferguson led the charge by scoring 14 points. Ferguson didn't help Southern Illinois' cause all that much against the Beacons on Wednesday but the same can't be said for this matchup.

The Bears' win bumped their record up to 12-9. As for the Salukis, their victory bumped their record up to 14-7.

Wednesday's match is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Missouri State have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 39.3 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Southern Illinois, though, as they've been averaging only 33.1 rebounds per game. Given Missouri State's sizable advantage in that area, the Salukis will need to find a way to close that gap.

Missouri State is hoping to beat the odds on Wednesday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss. For those looking to play the spread, watch out: Missouri State is playing as the underdogs on the road, but their 1-5-1 record against the spread as such isn't exactly encouraging.