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Loyola Chicago vs. Bradley Prediction, Odds and Key Players for NIT First Round (Back the Braves at Home)

Betting odds, pick and prediction for Loyola Chicago vs. Bradley in the first round of the NIT.

By Marty Coleman

Mar 5, 2023; St. Louis, MO, USA; Bradley Braves guard Connor Hickman (10) shoots as Drake Bulldogs
Mar 5, 2023; St. Louis, MO, USA; Bradley Braves guard Connor Hickman (10) shoots as Drake Bulldogs / Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
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The Loyola Chicago Ramblers make the three-hour trip down to Peoria, Illinois to take on the Bradley Braves in the first round of the NIT on Wednesday evening.

Bradley fell to Drake for the third time in a month in the semi-finals of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament to fall to 22-11 and end their hopes for an NCAA bid.

Loyola Chicago (23-9) dropped a heartbreaker in double overtime by a score of 75-74 to St. Bonaventure in the Atlantic 10 Tournament to send the Ramblers to the NIT.

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Loyola Chicago vs Bradley Odds, Spread and Total

Loyola Chicago vs Bradley Betting Trends

  • Loyola Chicago is 17-14 ATS this season
  • Bradley is 16-15-1 ATS this season
  • Loyola Chicago is 7-5 ATS as an underdog this season
  • Bradley is 14-11-1 ATS as a favorite this season
  • The OVER is 12-17-2 in Loyola Chicago games this season
  • The OVER is 19-13 in Bradley games this season

Loyola Chicago vs Bradley How to Watch

  • Date: Wednesday, March 20
  • Game Time: 6:00 EST
  • Venue: Carver Arena, Peoria, IL
  • How To Watch (TV): ESPN+
  • Loyola Chicago record: 23-9
  • Bradley record: 22-11

Loyola Chicago vs Bradley Key Players to Watch

Loyola Chicago

Desmond Watson: The 6'5 junior guard leads the Ramblers in scoring and rebounds (though it's very close in both categories with Philip Alston), is second on the team with 2.6 assists and adds 1.0 steals per game while shooting 39.3% from 3-point range.

Bradley

Connor Hickman: The 6'3 junior guard leads four Braves averaging double figures, scoring while pulling down 3.3 rebounds, handing out 3.0 assists, shooting 71% from the line and 41.0% from deep.

Illinois Chicago vs. Bradley Prediction and Pick

So much about the NIT is about attitude and home-court advantage. In this case, both teams, while disappointed, are likely happy to have their seasons extended.

Bradley has the decided advantage of playing in Carver Arena, where the team was 13-3 this season, with two of those losses coming in December and the other to Drake on February 10.

The Ramblers defense, rated as high as No. 25 nationally, will test the efficient Bradley offense, but the Braves are no slouch on the defensive end either and will cause problems for the Loyola offense.

Defense generally travels, but there's a reason the Braves are good at home and Kenpom.com rates Carver Arena as the 10th best home court in the land, assigning more than four points of home court advantage.

The Braves will get a stern test from their instate opponent, but playing at home and having an advantage at the free-throw line will prove to be deciding factors as Bradley covers the 4.5 point spread and moves on to Round Two.

Pick: Bradley -4.5 (-110)

Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.

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