1. NCAAB
  2. Wed, Nov 25
  3. NIU @ SIUE
NCAAB · Wed, Nov 25

Northern Illinois Huskies at SIU Edwardsville Cougars

First Community Arena · at SIUE
#334NIUN Illinois
@
#257SIUESIUE
LineNo line yet 
Total— 
NIUThis seasonSIUE
1-0Record0-0
0-1ATS0-0
1-0O/U0-0

ATS = covered-didn’t-push · O/U = overs-unders

Model: projects SIUE 75–66 · win probability SIUE 79%
Pick this game
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Winner
Line
—
no line yet
Total
—
model 140.7
Model edge
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No market line yet
Public
—
No split yet for this game
The model has not beaten the closing line: with an edge of 3 or more it went 409-367 in 2025-26. Model record

What could decide it: SIUE has more of the edges

NIU 1, SIUE 5 · 2025-26 numbers until both teams have played three games
SIUEBig
Three-pointers
NIU hits 30.9% and allows 36.3%; SIUE hits 35.0% and allows 30.2%. Threes are 45.0% and 36.2% of their shots
Context
Schedule so far
NIU has played the 167th-hardest schedule, SIUE the 365th. A record against a soft schedule means less
SIUEBig
Shooting
Effective FG%: NIU 47.6 and allows 55.6; SIUE 49.5 and allows 45.6
SIUEBig
NIU offense vs SIUE defense
Offense 327th of 366 against a defense 161st, on the model’s ratings
SIUESmall
Turnovers
Turnover rate: NIU 21.7%, SIUE 17.9%. Forced: NIU 16.3%, SIUE 17.1%
Context
Tempo
About 68 possessions: NIU plays 69.0 a game (181st fastest), SIUE 66.1 (306th). Faster games mean more points
SIUESmall
Home court
SIUE at home. This season: SIUE 0-0 at home, NIU 0-0 away
NIUSmall
Free throws
Free throw rate: NIU 38.3, SIUE 30.6. Allowed: NIU 38.3, SIUE 34.3
Even
Rebounding
Offensive rebound rate: NIU 30.3%, SIUE 30.1%. Defensive: NIU 70.0%, SIUE 68.4%
Even
Who is back
Minutes back from last season: NIU 30%, SIUE 52%. Transfers in: NIU 6, SIUE 2. Early in a season, turnover makes teams harder to price
Even
SIUE offense vs NIU defense
Offense 329th of 366 against a defense 327th, on the model’s ratings
Sorted by how lopsided each matchup is, from national ranks. Reasons to look, not picks: the market already knows most of this.

Market

Open → current
Spread
Opening line not available
Total
 
Moneyline
—

Pre-game lines only (ESPN, DraftKings first). After tip-off the line shown is the closing line.

Model vs market

MarketModelModel edge
Spread—SIUE -9.3—
Total—140.7—
Projected score—NIU 65.7 · SIUE 75

1st-half model

1st-half slate ›
ModelActual
1H spreadSIUE -5.4—
1H total65.9—
1H projected scoreNIU 30.2 · SIUE 35.6—
The 1st-half model is fitted from the full-game model and past halves. ESPN has no 1st-half lines for college games, so there is no market to compare it with.

The starting fives are even

Position by position: N Illinois 1, SIUE 1, even 3
N IllinoisBetterSIUE
G M. Weisbrod TR11 pts · 2 reb · 8 ast Score 27
Even
G G. Cobb TR9.8 pts · 2.6 reb · 3.6 ast Score 40
G T. Polite15 pts · 5 reb · 1 ast Score 45
SIUESmall
G T. King10.1 pts · 2.6 reb · 1 ast Score 66
G U. Buntyn TR12.5 pts · 2.8 reb · 3.3 ast Score 52
NIUBig
G J. Pickett4.6 pts · 2.9 reb · 1.1 ast Score 7
G D. Douglas TR12 pts · 4 reb · 0 ast Score 9
Even
F G. Liberis7 pts · 4.8 reb · 1 ast Score 9
F T. Samuels7 pts · 8.4 reb · 1.2 ast Score 33
Even
F D. Baker7.7 pts · 4 reb · 0.7 ast Score 40
N IllinoisBetterSIUE
NIU offense327th of 366 · -10.6
SIUEBig
SIUE defense161st of 366 · -3.6
NIU defense327th of 366 · -8.5
Even
SIUE offense329th of 366 · -10.6
Backcourt-5.2 · 4 players
SIUESmall
Backcourt-3.6 · 3 players
Frontcourt-1.4 · 1 player
NIUSmall
Frontcourt-3.3 · 2 players
Bench-3.5 · 3 players
SIUESmall
Bench-1.5 · 4 players
Score, worst to bestNIU betterSIUE betterTR transfer · NEW no Division I numbers
Projected starters: college teams publish no depth chart, so these come from minutes played, and a freshman or a new starter can change them. The score is the share of ranked players at the position that player is ahead of. Numbers are this season's once a player has 30 minutes, 2025-26's before that. Bench is the next five by minutes. Tap a player for the full numbers.

Depth chart

Projected rotation by position, starters outlined
N Illinois
Guards
M. Weisbrod31 min · TRT. Polite31 minU. Buntyn31 min · TRD. Douglas30 min · TRN. Carter-SmithNewC. HardrickNew
Forwards
T. Samuels30 minM. Ivanauskas20 min · TRJ. Daugherty10 min · TRA. McBirney-Griffin10 min · TRB. GrossNew
SIUE
Guards
G. Cobb29 min · TRT. King22 minJ. Pickett20 minC. Efono9 minH. Alexander7 minD. McCaskillNew
Forwards
G. Liberis24 minD. Baker21 minI. Baganc2 minD. WilsonNewB. SohaibNewB. MillerNew
Centers
J. Martin1 min · TR
In order of minutes, from rosters as of today. ESPN lists players only as guards, forwards or centers, and no injury report exists for college basketball, so a player who is out may still show here.
Showing 2025-26 until both teams have played this season.

Matchup stats

2025-26 · rank among 365 teams
Scoring
Shooting
Possessions
Defense
NIUSIUE
Scoring
66.3 #341Points per game67.7 #321
0.96 #354Points per possession1.02 #304
69.0 #181Pace (possessions)66.1 #306
Shooting
47.6 #324Effective FG%49.5 #266
30.9 #3233-point %35.0 #123
45.0 #663-point attempt rate36.2 #246
38.3 #95Free throw rate30.6 #294
Possessions
21.7 #360Turnover rate17.9 #266
30.3 #187Offensive rebound rate30.1 #195
11.6 #308Assists per game12.4 #255
Defense
78.9 #291Points allowed65.9 #13
1.15 #323Points allowed per possession1.00 #26
55.6 #342Opponent effective FG%45.6 #6
36.3 #315Opponent 3-point %30.2 #10
16.3 #199Turnovers forced17.1 #143
70.0 #161Defensive rebound rate68.4 #235
5.6 #288Steals per game6.9 #138
1.9 #352Blocks per game4.0 #70
From the box scores. A longer bar is a better national rank, on every row; the better team's bar is solid. A green rank is near the top of Division I, a red one near the bottom. Pace and 3-point rate are styles, so they have no better side.

N Illinois

7-21 in 2025-26 overall · 4-14 in conference · Horizon League

Last five, 2025-26
  • L@ Akron55–94
  • Lvs Kent State76–102
  • Lvs Ball State43–79
  • L@ Toledo69–79
  • Lvs Ohio66–74

A week or more of rest.

SIUE

16-13 in 2025-26 overall · 12-9 in conference · Ohio Valley Conference

Last five, 2025-26
  • Lvs E Illinois71–77
  • Wvs E Illinois77–50
  • Wvs W Illinois67–47
  • L@ Tennessee St53–80
  • L@ Tennessee Tech52–62

A week or more of rest.