Halftime Report
Only one more half stands between Western Illinois and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. They have jumped out to a quick 35-28 lead against Eastern Illinois.
If Western Illinois keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 19-11 in no time. On the other hand, Eastern Illinois will have to make due with a 14-17 record unless they turn things around (and fast).
Who's Playing
Eastern Illinois Panthers @ Western Illinois Leathernecks
Current Records: Eastern Illinois 14-16, Western Illinois 18-11
How To Watch
- When: Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 8:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Western Hall -- Macomb, Illinois
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $25.00
What to Know
We've got another exciting Ohio Valley matchup on schedule as the Western Illinois Leathernecks and the Eastern Illinois Panthers are set to tip at 8:30 p.m. ET on February 29th at Western Hall. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Last Saturday, the Leathernecks beat the Screaming Eagles 82-76. The win was just what Western Illinois needed coming off of a 78-57 loss in their prior contest.
Meanwhile, the Panthers were able to grind out a solid victory over the Cougars on Tuesday, taking the game 84-79.
The Leathernecks' win ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 18-11. As for the Panthers, their win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 14-16.
Looking forward to Thursday, Western Illinois is the favorite in this one, as the experts expect to see them win by six points. Bettors picking them against the spread have some confidence (to put it mildly), as the team is sitting on a five-game streak of failing to cover when playing at home.
Western Illinois came out on top in a nail-biter against the Panthers when the teams last played back in January, sneaking past 63-60. Will Western Illinois repeat their success, or do the Panthers have a better game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Odds
Western Illinois is a solid 6-point favorite against Eastern 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-point spread, and stayed right there.
The over/under is 134.5 points.
See college basketball picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine's advanced computer model. Get picks now.
Series History
Eastern Illinois has won 6 out of their last 10 games against Western Illinois.
- Jan 13, 2024 - Western Illinois 63 vs. Eastern Illinois 60
- Dec 10, 2022 - Western Illinois 79 vs. Eastern Illinois 75
- Dec 18, 2021 - Western Illinois 71 vs. Eastern Illinois 54
- Dec 12, 2020 - Eastern Illinois 92 vs. Western Illinois 88
- Dec 16, 2019 - Eastern Illinois 85 vs. Western Illinois 47
- Dec 08, 2018 - Eastern Illinois 76 vs. Western Illinois 65
- Nov 17, 2018 - Eastern Illinois 68 vs. Western Illinois 66
- Dec 19, 2017 - Eastern Illinois 78 vs. Western Illinois 77
- Nov 15, 2017 - Western Illinois 56 vs. Eastern Illinois 54
- Dec 10, 2016 - Eastern Illinois 63 vs. Western Illinois 49