Halftime Report

James Madison is on the road but looking no worse for wear. They have jumped out to a quick 40-39 lead against Southern Illinois.

James Madison entered the matchup having won three straight and they're just one quarter away from another. Will they make it four, or will Southern Illinois step up and spoil it? We'll know soon.

Who's Playing

James Madison Dukes @ Southern Illinois Salukis

Current Records: James Madison 4-0, Southern Illinois 3-0

How To Watch

  • When: Tuesday, November 21, 2023 at 6 p.m. ET
  • Where: Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya -- Riviera Maya, Mexico
  • TV: CBS Sports Network
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Watch on Connected TV: CBS Sports App on Roku and Fire TV
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What to Know

Southern Illinois has played every game this season on their home court, but they'll have to hit the road on Tuesday. They will face off against the James Madison Dukes at 6:00 p.m. ET at Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya. Both teams come into the contest bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

Winning is just a little bit easier when you work as a team to rack up ten more assists than your opponent, a fact Southern Illinois proved on Thursday. They took down the Cougars 71-55.

Southern Illinois can attribute much of their success to Xavier Johnson, who scored 18 points along with 7 assists and 5 rebounds. Another player making a difference was Trent Brown, who scored 12 points.

Meanwhile, James Madison is still undefeated this season after their match against Radford on Friday, but Radford came as close as anyone has to beating them. The Dukes sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 76-73 win over the Highlanders. The over/under was set at 149 points, so nice work oddsmakers; you were right on the money.

James Madison's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was T.J. Bickerstaff, who scored 20 points along with 8 rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Julien Wooden, who scored 15 points.

The Salukis pushed their record up to 3-0 with that win, which was their third straight at home. They've been dominating during the matches in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 23.33 points. As for the Dukes, their win bumped their record up to 4-0.

Looking ahead, Southern Illinois is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 5.5 points. This will be their first time playing as the underdogs this season.

This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Southern Illinois have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 38.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like James Madison struggles in that department as they've been even better at 39.5 per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check CBS Sports after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other NCAA Basketball content.

Odds

James Madison is a solid 5.5-point favorite against Southern Illinois, 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 5.5-point spread, and stayed right there.


The over/under is set at 146.5 points.

See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Injury Report for Southern Illinois

  • Cade Hornecker: Game-Time Decision (Ankle)
  • Sheridan Sharp: Out (Foot)

Injury Report for James Madison

  • Justin Amadi: Out for the Season (Lower Body)