Halftime Report

Only one more half stands between Illinois State and the victory they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Belmont 41-30.

Illinois State came into the contest with some extra motivation after the defeat they were dealt the last time these two teams faced off. We'll see if they're able to flip the script or if it'll just be more of the same.

Who's Playing

Belmont Bruins @ Illinois State Redbirds

Current Records: Belmont 11-8, Illinois State 9-10

How To Watch

What to Know

We've got another exciting Missouri Valley matchup on schedule as the Belmont Bruins and the Illinois State Redbirds are set to tip at 8:00 p.m. ET on January 23rd at CEFCU Arena. Belmont is hoping to put an end to a four-game streak of away losses.

It's hard to win when you nail seven fewer threes than your opponent, a fact Belmont found out the hard way on Saturday. Things couldn't have gone much worse for them as they lost 95-72 to the Braves.

Belmont's defeat came about despite a quality game from Cade Tyson, who scored 23 points along with eight rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Jayce Willingham, who scored 12 points along with six rebounds and five assists.

Meanwhile, Illinois State finally caught a break after six consecutive losses. They walked away with a 69-60 victory over the Bears on Saturday. The win was just what Illinois State needed coming off of a 77-56 defeat in their prior game.

Among those leading the charge was Darius Burford, who scored 22 points along with three steals. He continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Myles Foster was another key contributor, scoring 11 points along with nine rebounds.

The Bruins' defeat dropped their record down to 11-8. As for the Redbirds, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 9-10.

Tuesday's contest is shaping up to be a blowout: Belmont just can't miss this season, having made 48.3% of their shots per game. It's a different story for Illinois State, though, as they've only made 41.4% of their shots per game this season. Given Belmont's sizeable advantage in that area, Illinois State will need to find a way to close that gap.

Belmont is hoping to beat the odds on Tuesday, as the experts think they're headed for a loss. Bettors picking them against the spread have some confidence (to put it mildly), as the team is sitting on a four-game streak of failing to cover when playing as the underdogs on the road.

Odds

Illinois State is a slight 1.5-point favorite against Belmont, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 1.5-point spread, and stayed right there.


The over/under is set at 144 points.

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Series History

Belmont has won 3 out of their last 5 games against Illinois State.

  • Jan 10, 2024 - Belmont 67 vs. Illinois State 60
  • Feb 04, 2023 - Belmont 90 vs. Illinois State 75
  • Dec 04, 2022 - Illinois State 87 vs. Belmont 77
  • Nov 06, 2019 - Illinois State 79 vs. Belmont 72
  • Nov 10, 2018 - Belmont 100 vs. Illinois State 89