Friday nights this time of year are great for learning a thing or two about some of the mid-major conference teams. The Evansville Purple Aces, for example, are 15-3, and they're the third most efficient shooting team in America. On Friday night, they draw the Illinois State Redbirds in what could be a tricky Missouri Valley tussle.
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HOW THE EVANSVILLE PURPLE ACES CAN COVER THE SPREAD
When you shoot the ball as well as Evansville does, it's a lot easier to win and cover games on the road. The Aces are 4-1 ATS to show for their work as the visitors this year, and in order to cover this one, they'd be wise to once again shoot around the 52.3 percent they've shot for the season.
What really makes the Purple Aces go is the fact that they've got one of the best inside/outside combinations in the Valley in D.J. Balentine and Egidijus Mockevicius.
Balentine is coming up on 2,200 points in his career, and he isn't afraid to shoot the rock from anywhere on the court. At just 6-foot-2, he's not the biggest dog in the fight, but he's got a huge heart and is a name to remember if Evansville does turn itself into a tourney team.
The senior averages 20.9 points per game, and we know he's capable of much more than that if he gets rolling.
Mockevicius is the real matchup nightmare, though. He's not bulky like a lot of big men, but he's 6-foot-10 and freakishly athletic. No one is going to be able to keep up with him on the court, and if he can stay out of foul trouble, he could be the difference maker.
He averages 17.3 points, 13.9 boards and 2.8 blocks per game, and like Balentine, he's a senior who has made a huge impact in this conference over the years.
HOW THE ILLINOIS STATE REDBIRDS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
These last couple games, redshirt sophomore MiKyle McIntosh has really helped out the Illinois State cause on offense. He has put up 45 points in the two games and is really starting to stroke his three-point shot.
The problem though, is that he can't do this alone. Sure, DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell is going to get his points as well, as will Paris Lee, but this is your prototypical team which loves to run up and down the floor but has no efficiency whatsoever when doing so.
The Redbirds are averaging 12.8 turnovers per game and shooting just 41.1 percent from the field. Figure they have to stick in single digits in turnovers and at least cross 45 percent shooting to keep up with the Purple Aces.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
This is a tough one for the Redbirds. They're only 2-5 ATS at home this year, and in this case, they're going up against a really good road team which has proven to take down a number of middling teams like this in 2015-16.
Evansville's size is going to make a huge difference, especially with reserve big man Roland Griffin nursing a toe injury for the Redbirds. Assuming that Mockevicius stays out of foul trouble, he'll have yet another double-double, and Balentine will do the rest in what will turn out to be a prototypical Evansville 'W'.
Evansville 79, Illinois State 66
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BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The game between the Evansville Purple Aces and the Illinois State Redbirds will start at 9:00 p.m. ET on Friday, January 15, 2016 at Redbird Arena. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
