Watch Illinois State Redbirds vs. Drake Bulldogs: TV channel, live stream info, start time

How to watch Illinois State vs. Drake basketball game

By Scout Staff

Jan 17, 2024 at 8:50 pm ET • 2 min read

Halftime Report

Drake is on the road but looking no worse for wear. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Illinois State 43-27.

If Drake keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 15-3 in no time. On the other hand, Illinois State will have to make due with an 8-10 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who's Playing

Drake Bulldogs @ Illinois State Redbirds

Current Records: Drake 14-3, Illinois State 8-9

How To Watch

When: Wednesday, January 17, 2024 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: CEFCU Arena -- Normal, Illinois
Follow: CBS Sports App
Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
Ticket Cost: $16.00

What to Know

Drake is 9-1 against Illinois State since March of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Wednesday. Both teams will face off in a Missouri Valley battle at 8:00 p.m. ET at CEFCU Arena. Despite being away, Drake is looking at a 7.5-point advantage in the spread.

Southern Illinois typically has all the answers at home, but on Saturday Drake proved too difficult a challenge. They enjoyed a cozy 76-58 victory over the Salukis. The win made it back-to-back wins for Drake.

Drake can attribute much of their success to Tucker DeVries, who scored 34 points along with seven rebounds.

Meanwhile, Illinois State's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Sunday after their fifth straight loss. They fell 59-50 to the Beacons. After a 81-76 finish the last time they played, Illinois State and Valparaiso decided to play a little more cautiously this time around.

The Bulldogs' win bumped their record up to 14-3. As for the Redbirds, they have traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost six of their last eight matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 8-9 record this season.

This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: Drake just can't miss this season, having made 48.2% of their shots per game. It's a different story for Illinois State, though, as they've only made 41.5% of their shots per game this season. Given Drake's sizeable advantage in that area, Illinois State will need to find a way to close that gap.

Drake strolled past Illinois State when the teams last played on January 2nd by a score of 88-71. The rematch might be a little tougher for Drake since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.