Loyola Chicago vs. Southern Illinois Prediction and Odds (Ramblers Struggle ATS in Conference Play)
By Matt De Saro
The Loyola Chicago Ramblers hit the road on Thursday night to battle with their Missouri Valley Conference rivals, the Southern Illinois Salukis.
It is the second game in a row that these two teams will play each other. The Ramblers came away with a home win on Tuesday over the Salukis 59-47 but pushed as 12 point favorites against the spread. It will be interesting to see if they can repeat their success on the road and cover as 6.5 point favorites at the Banterra Center. Tuesday was the Ramblers' fourth straight-up win over the Salukis in a row.
Loyola Chicago is now 15-3 overall and steller 6-1 in the MVC. Southern Illinois, meanwhile, fell to .500 at 10-10 and are 3–5 in conference play.
Here are the odds for this Mississippi Valley matchup, courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook.
Loyola Chicago vs. Southern Illinois Odds, Spread, and Total
Spread:
- Loyola Chicago -6.5 (+105)
- Southern Illinois +6.5 (-135)
Moneyline:
- Loyola Chicago -225
- Southern Illinois +180
Total: 125 (Over -110/Under -110)
Loyola Chicago vs. Southern Illinois Prediction and Pick
The Ramblers bounced back nicely against Southern Illinois after seeing their 10 game win streak broken by Missouri State last weekend. Loyola Chicago took control of that game early and never let up after a first-quarter 10-0 run. Southern Illinois was able to pull within five points but the Ramblers went on another big run that eventually sealed the game. Now, for the bad news. The Ramblers are just 1-5 ATS in their last six games and 7-9-1 ATS on the season. They were massive favorites against both Valparaiso and Bradley and needed overtime to beat each. The team has a very efficient offense that shoots over 57 percent from two and 38.9 percent from deep. The Ramblers also spot a top 30 scoring defense at 62.3 points per game.
Southern Illinois, meanwhile, averages just 54.2 PPG on offense and plays a much slower-paced game than many in the MVC. They have also suffered through one of the toughest schedules in the conference and still rank 23rd in scoring defense.
While we are barely 48-hours removed from the Ramblers 12 point win, this game feels like it could be a trap. Games where teams play in back-to-back nights, tend to have surprising results and I think we could see an example of that tonight. While the Ramblers are winning games, they are still not covering and have been taken down to the wire by some pretty bad teams lately.
I'd take the points with the home dogs here.
LEAN: Southern Illinois +6.5 (-135)