Game Time: 8:00 PM ET, Sunday, January 16th, 2022

Venue: Redbird Arena, Normal, Illinois

Where to Watch:  ESPN +

 

DraftKings Sportsbook:  Bradley -2; O/U: 143.5

Caesars:  Spread: NL

VegasInsider:  Spread: Bradley -2; O/U 143.5

Bradley: 2-3 conf, 8-9 overall  (Missouri Valley)

Illinois State: 1-2 conf, 8-8 overall (Missouri Valley)

A matchup of unheralded Missouri Valley conference schools.  You will not hear about these opponents during March Madness.  When you Google “Bradley basketball” among the top few suggestions is the question “Is Bradley D1?’... The answer is yes they are.  They just play in the Missouri Valley Conference and are rarely on legitimate TV.  There are good betting opportunities in games like these… genuinely teams in the Missouri valley conference playing opponents also in the Missouri Valley conference tend to be just as reliable to their numbers (stats) as any of the ACC teams… and much more reliable than the topsy turvy Pac-12.  So let’s look at the numbers.

The Bradley Braves have won 6 of their last 10 games, but are only 1 win in their last 4 games when conference play got underway.  They have been beat by Loyola Illinois, Missouri State, and Indiana State,,, if the Evansville Aces hadn’t come along they would be winless in 2022.  The Braves rely on point guard Bradley Braves who leads the team in points, assists, and steals.  

The Illinois State Redbirds are on a three-game losing streak.  They have been beat by Drake, Valparaiso, and Wisconsin… The funny thing is though:  All three losses were wins ATS… In fact they have won their last 5 games ATS.  So what we have here is a bad team that rises to the occasion?.. Or a good team that drops close games?..  Either way we have a trend.  Shooting guard Antonio Reeves is averaging 21 pts a game and serves as the big fish in a small pond, Missouri Valley Kobe Light.

Big time opportunity here to make a big score with your sportsbook with this big game tonight and a TOP TIER in CBB. Get with me here on this play or lock in on a long term pass as we make a move up the leaderboards! Get Brian Bitlers’ pick!!  It's available right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers. All your NCAA basketball needs for the entire college basketball season!

Bradley is 8-9 on the season, but 9-7 ATS.  They are 0-4 in road games.

Illinois State is 8-8 on the season, but 8-6 ATS.  Two Illinois State opponents were considered not of competitive quality to merit a betting line from the Sportsbooks.  It’s what happens when the local D-1 school plays the local community college.  That is why the record and ATS numbers don’t add up.

Bradley is scoring 72.2 ppg, 36.4 rpg, and is ranked 208th in the country in AST/TO ratio with 1.0.  They are shooting 44.3% FG, 35% 3PT, and a terrible 65.3% FT.  They have a middling defense that allows 66.7 ppg from opponents.

Illinois State is scoring 80.1 ppg, 33.8 rpg, and 279th in the nation at AST/TO ratio with 0.9.  They are better shooters than Bradley.  46.3% FG, 38.7% 3PT, and 73.3% FT.  The defense is a bit of a sieve allowing 78.4 ppg.  They truly need to score well to beat anybody.

Our prediction for Sunday, January 16th is…  Illinois State 81 - Bradley 78

The Redbirds are on a wins ATS role.  The ability to be in any game is a solid one in college basketball… because when doormats like Bradley come along , you get to wipe your feet on them.

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Illinois State is 2-1 ATS versus Bradley over the last 3 seasons.

3 of 4 games in this series have gone Over in the last 3 seasons.

Illinois State is 1-0 ATS versus Bradley at Illinois State the last 3 seasons.