Halftime Report

Only one more half stands between Western Illinois and the victory they were favored to collect coming into this evening. Sitting on a score of 33-23, they have looked like the better team, but there's still one more half to play.

If Western Illinois keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 16-8 in no time. On the other hand, Little Rock will have to make due with a 13-12 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who's Playing

Little Rock Trojans @ Western Illinois Leathernecks

Current Records: Little Rock 13-11, Western Illinois 15-8

How To Watch

What to Know

After four games on the road, Western Illinois is heading back home. They and the Little Rock Trojans will face off in an Ohio Valley battle at 8:30 p.m. ET on Thursday at Western Hall. After both teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one of them is set up to suffer a discouraging change of fortune.

Winning is just a little bit easier when your shooting is a whole 16.4% better than the opposition, a fact Western Illinois proved on Saturday. They blew past the Redhawks 76-55.

We saw a pretty high 162-over/under line set for Little Rock's previous contest, but the actual score was more down to earth. They put the hurt on the Skyhawks with a sharp 77-57 win on Tuesday. The oddsmakers were on Little Rock's side, but they didn't give the squad enough credit as the margin was unexpectedly wide.

The Leathernecks have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won 12 of their last 14 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 15-8 record this season. As for the Trojans, their win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-11.

This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Western Illinois have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 42.7 rebounds per game (they're ranked third in rebounds per game overall). However, it's not like Little Rock struggles in that department as they've been averaging 37 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

Odds

Western Illinois is a slight 1-point favorite against Little Rock, 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 1-point spread, and stayed right there.


The over/under is set at 141 points.

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