Who's Playing

Valparaiso @ Belmont

Current Records: Valparaiso 3-4; Belmont 4-3

What to Know

A Missouri Valley battle is on tap between the Valparaiso Beacons and the Belmont Bruins at 8 p.m. ET Thursday at Curb Event Center. The two teams each escaped (but just barely!) with wins against their previous opponents.

Valpo came out on top in a nail-biter against the James Madison Dukes on Sunday, sneaking past 81-79. The Beacons can attribute much of their success to forward Ben Krikke, who had 23 points along with seven boards.

Speaking of close games: things were close when Belmont and the Georgia State Panthers clashed on Sunday, but Belmont ultimately edged out the opposition 68-66.

Valpo have to know they'll be fighting an uphill battle given the 10.5-point spread they are up against. Those who got lucky with them against the spread on Sunday might want to hold off on placing bets this time since the squad has yet to string together back-to-back wins against the spread.

The wins brought Valpo up to 3-4 and the Bruins to a reciprocal 4-3. A couple defensive numbers to keep in mind before tip-off: The Beacons are stumbling into the matchup with the 47th most points allowed per game in college basketball, having given up 74.3 on average. Belmont has experienced some struggles of their own as they have allowed their opponents to shoot 46.90% from the floor on average, which is the 24th highest shooting percentage allowed in college basketball. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.

How To Watch

  • When: Thursday at 8 p.m. ET
  • Where: Curb Event Center -- Nashville, Tennessee
  • TV: ESPN University
  • Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Ticket Cost: $9.00

Odds

The Bruins are a big 10.5-point favorite against the Beacons, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Bruins as an 11.5-point favorite.

Over/Under: -110

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Series History

Belmont and Valparaiso both have one win in their last two games.

  • Dec 28, 2015 - Belmont 85 vs. Valparaiso 81
  • Dec 03, 2015 - Valparaiso 61 vs. Belmont 57