Who's Playing

Nebraska Omaha @ Western Illinois

Current Records: Nebraska Omaha 5-22; Western Illinois 15-13

What to Know

The Western Illinois Leathernecks are 3-10 against the Nebraska Omaha Mavericks since January of 2016, but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit Thursday. WIU and Nebraska Omaha will face off in a Summit battle at 7 p.m. ET at Western Hall. The Mavericks should still be riding high after a victory, while WIU will be looking to right the ship.

WIU received a tough blow on Saturday as they fell 78-65 to the South Dakota Coyotes.

Meanwhile, Nebraska Omaha came out on top in a nail-biter against the Denver Pioneers last week, sneaking past 72-69.

The Leathernecks are the favorite in this one, with an expected 13-point margin of victory. Now might not be the best time to take WIU against the spread since they've let down bettors for the past five consecutive games.

WIU is now 15-13 while Nebraska Omaha sits at 5-22. A pair of defensive stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: WIU is stumbling into the game with the 14th most points allowed per game in college basketball, having given up 76.8 on average. Nebraska Omaha has experienced some struggles of their own as they are 357th worst in college basketball in points allowed per game, with 82.8 on average. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.

How To Watch

  • When: Thursday at 7 p.m. ET
  • Where: Western Hall -- Macomb, Illinois
  • Follow: CBS Sports App

Odds

The Leathernecks are a big 13-point favorite against the Mavericks, 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 13-point spread, and stayed right there.

Over/Under: -110

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Series History

Nebraska Omaha have won ten out of their last 13 games against Western Illinois.

  • Dec 22, 2021 - Nebraska Omaha 84 vs. Western Illinois 78
  • Feb 06, 2021 - Western Illinois 85 vs. Nebraska Omaha 77
  • Feb 05, 2021 - Western Illinois 85 vs. Nebraska Omaha 77
  • Feb 22, 2020 - Nebraska Omaha 93 vs. Western Illinois 86
  • Jan 23, 2020 - Nebraska Omaha 87 vs. Western Illinois 82
  • Feb 20, 2019 - Nebraska Omaha 77 vs. Western Illinois 63
  • Jan 17, 2019 - Nebraska Omaha 80 vs. Western Illinois 71
  • Feb 08, 2018 - Nebraska Omaha 71 vs. Western Illinois 68
  • Jan 11, 2018 - Nebraska Omaha 87 vs. Western Illinois 66
  • Feb 04, 2017 - Nebraska Omaha 79 vs. Western Illinois 67
  • Jan 14, 2017 - Nebraska Omaha 86 vs. Western Illinois 72
  • Feb 03, 2016 - Western Illinois 83 vs. Nebraska Omaha 76
  • Jan 01, 2016 - Nebraska Omaha 82 vs. Western Illinois 80