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Bulldogs vs Illinois Salukis Picks and Predictions – Wednesday January 14, 2026
Drake heads to Carbondale on Wednesday night for a Missouri Valley Conference matchup with Southern Illinois at the Banterra Center. Tip is set for 8:00 PM ET, with ESPN+ carrying the stream. The market has Southern Illinois favored by 5.5 at home, which is a meaningful number in a league where margins tend to stay tight and late-game possessions decide a lot of covers.
This matchup looks like a clean clash of styles. Drake wants to win with perimeter math and shot-making. Southern Illinois wants to control the floor with efficient two-point offense and steady possession volume in its own building.
Drake Bulldogs vs Southern Illinois Salukis Odds
These are the current betting lines, and bettors should keep tracking movement on the college basketball odds board leading up to tip.
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drake Bulldogs | +186 | +5.5 (-109) | 147.5 (-110) |
| Southern Illinois Salukis | -225 | -5.5 (-112) | 147.5 (-110) |
Drake Bulldogs Betting Form
Drake is coming off a tight 78-76 loss to Belmont, and the most relevant takeaway is that the Bulldogs can score enough to stay connected even when the matchup isn’t perfect. Eli Shetlar’s 26 points were efficient, and that efficiency is the story for Drake in this spot. They don’t need to overpower you physically if they’re generating clean threes and converting at a decent clip.
Drake has also been solid on the road at 4-2, and that matters because it’s one of the better indicators for how a team handles conference road environments. The Bulldogs’ three-point volume is the lever that changes the game. When they’re making threes, they can survive nights where they’re not winning the paint or the free-throw battle. When the threes don’t fall, the offense can tighten quickly and turn into a possession-by-possession grind.
For trends and game logs, use Drake stats and results. Before betting, confirm who’s available with the Drake Bulldogs injury report, because perimeter shooting teams often lose a lot of their edge when one rotation wing is limited.
Southern Illinois Salukis Betting Form
Southern Illinois is coming off a loss to UIC, but the bigger picture is that the Salukis have been strong at home at 6-1. That home form is the backbone of the -5.5 number. Southern Illinois tends to be more consistent offensively in its building, and it plays with a rhythm that shows up in its two-point production. They shoot well overall and generate a steady diet of shots inside the arc, which is often the safest way to score in Missouri Valley play.
The tempo note matters too. Southern Illinois is comfortable playing at a moderate pace and getting into its sets early enough to create good looks without rushing. If the Salukis are winning the paint and avoiding live-ball turnovers, they can keep Drake from running off misses and can reduce the three-point volume that Drake wants.
For schedule context and home splits, check Southern Illinois schedule and stats. Also review the Southern Illinois Salukis injury report, because this spread assumes Southern Illinois has enough scoring available to build and maintain margin.
Drake Bulldogs vs Southern Illinois Salukis Matchup Breakdown
This game is about where the points come from. Drake’s best path is to win the three-point battle. They don’t need to bomb 30 of them, but they need enough attempts and enough makes to keep Southern Illinois from settling into a paint-first game. If Drake is trading threes for twos, it can win even without dominating the rebound battle.
Southern Illinois’ edge is the opposite. If the Salukis are scoring efficiently inside and forcing Drake to defend multiple actions per possession, they can drag Drake into foul trouble and reduce the Bulldogs’ ability to play small, shoot-heavy lineups. That’s also how favorites cover in this range, by getting steady, repeatable offense while the underdog is living on shot variance.
The total at 147.5 sits in a tricky range. If Drake gets up threes early and Southern Illinois answers with efficient twos, the scoreboard can move. If Southern Illinois controls tempo and makes this a half-court game, possessions shrink and the under becomes more attractive. End-game fouling is also a real factor if this stays within two possessions late.
Drake Bulldogs vs Southern Illinois Salukis Predictions and Best Bets
My lean is Drake +5.5. In this league, five and a half is meaningful, and Drake’s road profile plus its shooting upside gives it a real path to staying inside the number even if Southern Illinois wins. If Drake is even average from three, it can keep the margin in the single digits most of the night.
On the total, I lean under 147.5. Southern Illinois’ best way to win is through controlled possessions and efficient two-point offense, not by sprinting. Drake can push the total up with threes, but the more likely game script is a competitive, half-court conference game where each side has a couple empty stretches.
If you’re picking one bet, the points stand out more than the total because Drake’s three-point variance gives you multiple cover paths.
Best Bet: Drake +5.5
NCAAB Picks and Handicappers on ScoresAndStats
To compare this matchup with the rest of the night’s slate, go to the college basketball picks page for sides and totals. For more writeups in this format, the NCAAB previews hub keeps the schedule organized.
If you want to track who’s actually beating the market, use the best handicappers section and the live handicapper leaderboard. For premium packages and larger slate coverage, browse buy picks.
For team-to-team context across conferences, the college basketball teams hub is the fastest jump point. If you’re comparing books, start with sportsbook reviews, and if you’re evaluating additional pick services, the handicappers sites reviews page helps you sort the landscape. For broader betting angles, the main ScoresAndStats blog is worth browsing.
