Who's Playing

Western Illinois @ North Dakota State

Current Records: Western Illinois 16-12; North Dakota State 13-16

What to Know

Get ready for a Summit battle as the North Dakota State Bison and the Western Illinois Leathernecks will face off at 2 p.m. ET Saturday at Scheels Center. These two teams come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous games.

The St. Thomas (MN) Tommies typically have all the answers at home, but on Thursday North Dakota State proved too difficult a challenge. The Bison took their game against the Tommies 73-64.

Meanwhile, WIU strolled past the North Dakota Fighting Hawks with points to spare on Thursday, taking the contest 81-70.

North Dakota State is the favorite in this one, with an expected 8.5-point margin of victory. They have been consistent moneymakers against the spread when favored (8-4), so they might be worth a quick bet.

North Dakota State is now 13-16 while WIU sits at 16-12. A pair of stats to keep an eye on: The Bison are stumbling into the contest with the 361st fewest takeaways in college basketball, having accrued only nine on average. To make matters even worse for North Dakota State, the Leathernecks enter the matchup with only 10.9 turnovers per game on average, good for 34th best in college basketball. Maybe that strength will give WIU the oomph they need to beat the odds.

How To Watch

  • When: Saturday at 2 p.m. ET
  • Where: Scheels Center -- Fargo, North Dakota
  • Follow: CBS Sports App

Odds

The Bison are a big 8.5-point favorite against the Leathernecks, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The line has drifted a bit towards the Bison, as the game opened with the Bison as a 7-point favorite.

Over/Under: -109

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Series History

North Dakota State have won 13 out of their last 16 games against Western Illinois.

  • Dec 19, 2022 - Western Illinois 79 vs. North Dakota State 60
  • Feb 10, 2022 - North Dakota State 84 vs. Western Illinois 81
  • Jan 15, 2022 - Western Illinois 90 vs. North Dakota State 79
  • Jan 03, 2021 - North Dakota State 78 vs. Western Illinois 67
  • Jan 02, 2021 - North Dakota State 68 vs. Western Illinois 50
  • Jan 30, 2020 - North Dakota State 70 vs. Western Illinois 49
  • Jan 02, 2020 - North Dakota State 94 vs. Western Illinois 74
  • Mar 11, 2019 - North Dakota State 76 vs. Western Illinois 73
  • Feb 02, 2019 - North Dakota State 78 vs. Western Illinois 76
  • Jan 10, 2019 - North Dakota State 85 vs. Western Illinois 69
  • Feb 22, 2018 - Western Illinois 82 vs. North Dakota State 74
  • Jan 27, 2018 - North Dakota State 80 vs. Western Illinois 69
  • Feb 18, 2017 - North Dakota State 100 vs. Western Illinois 91
  • Jan 21, 2017 - North Dakota State 89 vs. Western Illinois 57
  • Feb 17, 2016 - North Dakota State 63 vs. Western Illinois 54
  • Jan 23, 2016 - North Dakota State 65 vs. Western Illinois 52