Evansville Purple Aces vs Southern Illinois Salukis Prediction, 1/1/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Evansville Purple Aces vs Southern Illinois Salukis

Date: Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Location: Banterra Center in Carbondale, IL

TV: ESPN+

The Southern Illinois Salukis (5-8) will go up against the Evansville Purple Aces (4-9) at Banterra Center on Wednesday.

The Evansville Purple Aces faced Missouri State and went home with a win by a final score of 57-40 in their last contest. In reference to fouls, the Purple Aces ended up with 12 while Missouri State finished the game with 17 fouls. They made 5 out of their 25 tries from distance. Missouri State walked away from this one shooting 53.8% at the free throw line by converting 7 of their 13 shots. On top of that, Missouri State pulled down 38 rebounds (10 offensive, 28 defensive), but wasn't able to record a rejection. Missouri State distributed 11 dimes and had 8 steals for the matchup. When it comes to defense, Evansville allowed their opponent to shoot 25.9% from the field on 14 out of 54 shooting. They also recorded 10 dimes in this game in addition to forcing the other team into 13 turnovers and earning 8 steals. In terms of hauling in rebounds, they collected 31 with 5 of them being of the offensive sort. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Purple Aces converted 13 of 20 attempts for a rate of 65.0%. Evansville wrapped up the contest with a 38.3% field goal percentage (18 out of 47) and converted 8 of their 22 3-pointers.

Cameron Haffner is someone who was a contributor for the matchup. He ended up walking away with 13 points on 5 of 12 shooting. He saw the court for 40 minutes played and also pulled down 3 rebounds. He went 41.7% from the floor and distributed 1 assist.

Get all of our NCAA Betting Picks

Evansville enters this game with a record of 4-9 so far this year. They turn the ball over 12.0 times per contest and as a unit they are committing 17.0 fouls per game. As a unit, Evansville is grabbing 32.5 rebounds per contest and has tallied 168 assists this year, which is 244th in the country in terms of passing the ball. The Purple Aces are connecting on 28.5% on shots from 3-point land (98 of 344) and 66.0% from the free throw line. They average 64.9 pts per game (346th in the nation) on 41.3% from the floor.

On the defensive end of the court, the Purple Aces are forcing 11.7 turnovers per contest and they draw 14.3 personal fouls. They are currently ranked 118th in college in giving up assists to the opposition with 152 conceded for the season. The Purple Aces defense is allowing and opponent field goal percentage of 43.4% (318 of 733) and they surrender 38.2 rebounds per game as a group. They are surrendering 32.9% on shots from downtown while they are 201st in college in points per game from their opponents (71.7).

In their last game, the Southern Illinois Salukis took a loss by a final score of 78-67 against UNI. In relation to attacking the glass, Southern Illinois allowed UNI to snag 29 in total (6 offensive). They finished shooting 41.2% from distance by shooting 7 of 17 and finished the game at 13 of 17 at the charity stripe (76.5%). The Salukis allowed UNI to bury 29 out of their 52 attempts from the floor which gave them a percentage of 55.8% in the matchup. When all was said and done, the Salukis ended up going 26 for 57 from the floor which had them shooting 45.6%. With respect to shots from beyond the perimeter, Southern Illinois made 8 of 24 attempts (33.3%). They were able to convert 7 of the free throws for a percentage of 53.8%. UNI was called for 14 fouls for the matchup which got the Salukis to the charity stripe for 13 attempts. They also turned it over 13 times, while getting 7 steals in the game. The Salukis were able to snag 18 defensive boards and 9 offensive boards totaling 27 for the contest.

Jarrett Hensley ended up being a factor for the Salukis in this matchup. He accumulated 20 points in his 32 minutes on the court and had 1 assist in the game. He made 7 of 13 in the game for a field goal rate of 53.8%, and accounted for 6 rebounds.

Southern Illinois has a mark of 5-8 on the season. On the offensive side of the ball, the Salukis are hitting on 45.2% from the field, which is 181st in college. Southern Illinois has accounted for 959 pts for the season (73.8 per game) and they grab 36.8 boards per contest. Their rate of dishing out assists is at 14.4 times per contest (174th in college) and they lose possession via turnover 13.3 times per contest. The Salukis have committed 16.8 personal fouls per game and they connect on 68.3% from the charity stripe.

The Southern Illinois defense gives up 35.9% on shots from beyond the arc (103 of 287) and their opponents are making 71.8% of their free throw shots. They have relinquished 13.3 assists and 34.3 rebounds per game, which is ranked 211th and 181st in the nation. The Salukis are ranked 282nd in the nation in points per game surrendered with 75.2. They are forcing their opponents into 11.8 turnovers per game and have allowed teams to shoot 44.3% from the floor (256th in college).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Evansville

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here