The Western Illinois Leathernecks'(14-8, 7-4 Summit) visit the Denver Pioneers (12-12, 3-8) Thursday. Tip from Hamilton Gymnasium is set for 9 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Western Illinois vs. Denver'odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Western Illinois beat San Diego State 81-73 in overtime Saturday, covering as a 1.5-point home underdog. The Leathernecks have won 5 in a row and are 4-1 against the spread (ATS) in that time. They are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 and 11-7-1 ATS on the season. According to NCAA.com, they average 75.3 points per game to rank 98th, while shooting 46.55% from the field (68th).
Denver fell 70-60 at Kansas City Saturday, failing to cover as a 6-point road underdog. It was the Pioneers’ 3rd straight loss and 3rd straight game they failed to cover the spread. The Pioneers are only 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games and 9-12-1 ATS overall. Despite their struggles, the Pioneers are one of the top shooting teams in the country, ranking 10th by shooting 49.1% from the field.
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