UIC Flames vs Southern Illinois Salukis Prediction, 3/7/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: UIC Flames vs Southern Illinois Salukis

Date: Thursday, March 7, 2024

Location: Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO

TV: ESPN+

The Southern Illinois Salukis (19-12) are welcoming the UIC Flames (11-20) at Enterprise Center on Thursday.

The UIC Flames faced Missouri State and took a loss by a score of 69-59 in their last game. In reference to personal fouls, the Flames walked away with 17 while Missouri State finished the game with 13 personal fouls. They made 5 out of their 17 shots from 3-point land. Missouri State shot 70.6% from the charity stripe by knocking down 12 of 17 tries. Furthermore, Missouri State grabbed 45 boards (14 offensive, 31 defensive), but wasn't able to record a rejection. Missouri State distributed 15 assists and had 4 steals in the matchup. With respect to defense, UIC allowed 39.4% from the floor on 26 out of 66 shooting. They also recorded 10 dimes for the contest as well as forcing the other team into 13 turnovers and having 7 steals. Pertaining to pulling down boards, they earned a total of 28 with 5 of them being offensive. At the free throw line, the Flames converted 11 of 17 attempts for a rate of 64.7%. UIC walked away from the contest having earned a 35.7% FG percentage (20 out of 56) and buried 8 of their 27 three-point shots.

Toby Okani is a guy who was a factor for this game. He finished the game at 50.0% from the floor and also distributed 2 dimes. He was on the court for 32 mins and also grabbed 7 boards. He walked away with 14 points on 5 of 10 shooting.

Get all of our NCAA Basketball Picks Today

UIC steps onto the court with a win-loss record of 11-20 so far this season. They turn it over 12.5 times per contest and as a squad they commit 17.7 fouls every game. As a team, UIC is grabbing 33.5 rebounds per game and has 436 assists so far this year, which is 97th in the nation in terms of passing the ball. The Flames are shooting 37.1% on three-point attempts (277 of 746) and 69.1% from the charity stripe. They have an average of 70.6 pts per contest (272nd in the nation) while connecting on 44.2% from the floor.

On defense, the Flames have forced 12.2 turnovers per contest and they draw 14.3 fouls. They currently rank 204th in D-1 in giving up assists to their opponents with 394 surrendered for the season. The Flames are giving up a field goal percentage of 42.5% (764 of 1,798) and they surrender 36.4 rebounds per contest as a group. They are surrendering 30.7% on shots from distance and they are ranked 153rd in the nation in points per game allowed (71.1).

For their last game, the Southern Illinois Salukis took a loss by a score of 82-70 when they played UNI. The Salukis were able to corral 21 defensive rebounds and 9 offensive boards totaling 30 for this contest. They also turned the ball over 8 times, while recording 3 steals in this matchup. UNI committed 20 personal fouls for the matchup which got the Salukis to the charity stripe for a total of 20 shots. They were able to convert 17 of the free throw tries for a rate of 85.0%. Regarding 3-point shots, Southern Illinois knocked down 7 out of their 24 attempts (29.2%). When all was said and done, the Salukis shot 23 for 59 from the field which had them sitting at 39.0%. The Salukis allowed UNI to make 25 out of their 51 tries from the floor which gave them a rate of 49.0% in the matchup. They finished 43.8% from beyond the arc by shooting 7 of 16 and finished the contest at 25 out of 33 from the charity stripe (75.8%). With respect to rebounding, Southern Illinois allowed UNI to grab 30 overall (6 on the offensive glass).

Xavier Johnson ended up being important for the Salukis for this contest. He made 7 of 20 in this matchup for a rate of 35.0%, and tallied 7 rebounds. He totaled 24 points in his 40 minutes on the hardwood and added 6 dimes for the contest.

Southern Illinois has a record of 19-12 for the year. When it comes to executing on offense, the Salukis are shooting 45.6% from the floor, which is ranked 122nd in college hoops. Southern Illinois has accounted for 2,243 points on the season (72.4 per game) and they average 32.7 boards per game. They are assisting teammates 14.2 times per game (115th in college basketball) and they are losing possession via turnover 11.3 times per game. The Salukis commit 18.2 fouls per game and they go 76.5% from the free throw line.

The Southern Illinois defense allows 30.2% on 3-point shots (156 of 517) and their opponents are connecting on 71.2% of their foul shots. They relinquish 10.8 assists and 31.6 total boards per game, which has them ranked 30th and 26th in college basketball. The Salukis on the defensive end are ranked 68th in D-1 in PPG allowed with 67.7. They are forcing 10.8 TO's per game and have let teams shoot 45.0% from the field (258th in D-1).

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take UIC

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