Halftime Report
Drake has overcome an early deficit to take the lead back in this one. They have jumped out to a quick 28-27 lead against S. Illinois.
Drake entered the matchup having won seven straight and they’re just one half away from another. Will they make it eight, or will S. Illinois step up and spoil it? We’ll know soon.
Who’s Playing
Drake Bulldogs @ S. Illinois Salukis
Current Records: Drake 19-2, S. Illinois 10-12
How To Watch
- When: Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 2 p.m. ET
- Where: Banterra Center — Carbondale, Illinois
- TV: ESPN University
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $6.12
What to Know
S. Illinois will be in front of their home fans on Saturday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-court advantage. They and the Drake Bulldogs will face off in a Missouri Valley battle at 2:00 p.m. ET at Banterra Center. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Tuesday, S. Illinois didn’t have too much breathing room in their match against Valparaiso, but they still walked away with a 79-75 win. That’s two games straight that the Salukis have won by exactly four points.
S. Illinois got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Damien Mayo Jr. out in front who went 5 for 7 en route to 13 points plus seven rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Jarrett Hensley, who almost dropped a double-double on 13 points and nine rebounds.
Meanwhile, Drake came tearing into Wednesday’s contest with six straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 11.5 points) and they left with even more momentum. They came out on top against the Panthers by a score of 66-52.
Drake’s win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Bennett Stirtz, who went 7 for 11 en route to 20 points plus three steals. Stirtz is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he’s now grabbed three or more in the last three games he’s played. Another player making a difference was Cam Manyawu, who almost dropped a double-double on ten points and nine rebounds.
S. Illinois is on a roll lately: they’ve won five of their last six games, which provided a massive bump to their 10-12 record this season. As for Drake, their victory was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 19-2.
Not only did both teams in this Saturday’s matchup win their last matches, they also took care of their bettors and covered the spread. Looking forward, Drake is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by 6.5 points. This contest will be their seventh straight as the favorites (so far over this stretch they are 3-3 against the spread).
S. Illinois came up short against Drake in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, falling 92-88. Will S. Illinois have more luck at home instead of on the road?
Odds
Drake is a solid 6.5-point favorite against S. Illinois, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 6.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
The over/under is 128 points.
See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Drake has won 9 out of their last 10 games against S. Illinois.
- Feb 07, 2024 – Drake 92 vs. S. Illinois 88
- Jan 13, 2024 – Drake 76 vs. S. Illinois 58
- Mar 04, 2023 – Drake 65 vs. S. Illinois 52
- Feb 11, 2023 – Drake 82 vs. S. Illinois 59
- Jan 04, 2023 – S. Illinois 53 vs. Drake 49
- Mar 04, 2022 – Drake 65 vs. S. Illinois 52
- Feb 26, 2022 – Drake 62 vs. S. Illinois 60
- Jan 17, 2022 – Drake 60 vs. S. Illinois 59
- Jan 04, 2021 – Drake 86 vs. S. Illinois 55
- Jan 03, 2021 – Drake 73 vs. S. Illinois 55
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