Who's Playing

Illinois State @ Northern Iowa

Regular Season Records: Illinois State 11-20; Northern Iowa 13-17

What to Know

The Illinois State Redbirds have been on the wrong side of a one-way rivalry with the Northern Iowa Panthers and are hoping to record their first win since Dec. 31 of 2019. Illinois State and Northern Iowa are set to clash at 1 p.m. ET March 2 at Enterprise Center in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tourney. The odds don't look promising for the Redbirds, but the bigger the opponent is, the harder they fall.

Illinois State didn't have too much trouble with the Evansville Aces at home on Sunday as they won 72-53. Among those leading the charge for Illinois State was guard Seneca Knight, who shot 5-for-8 from beyond the arc and finished with 26 points and five boards.

Meanwhile, Northern Iowa came up short against the Belmont Bruins on Sunday, falling 83-75. Guard Bowen Born had a pretty forgettable game, finishing with 11 points on 2-for-10 shooting and turning the ball over four times in his 30 minutes on the court.

Illinois State's victory lifted them to 11-20 while Northern Iowa's defeat dropped them down to 13-17. We'll see if the Redbirds can repeat their recent success or if the Panthers bounce back and reverse their fortune.

How To Watch

  • When: Thursday at 1 p.m. ET
  • Where: Enterprise Center -- St. Louis, Missouri
  • TV: ESPN Plus
  • Follow: CBS Sports App

Odds

The Panthers are a 4-point favorite against the Redbirds, 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 Panthers as a 3.5-point favorite.

Over/Under: -110

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Series History

Northern Iowa have won 12 out of their last 18 games against Illinois State.

  • Jan 18, 2023 - Northern Iowa 65 vs. Illinois State 63
  • Dec 31, 2022 - Northern Iowa 66 vs. Illinois State 60
  • Mar 04, 2022 - Northern Iowa 78 vs. Illinois State 65
  • Feb 15, 2022 - Northern Iowa 72 vs. Illinois State 70
  • Jan 29, 2022 - Northern Iowa 79 vs. Illinois State 64
  • Mar 04, 2021 - Northern Iowa 65 vs. Illinois State 60
  • Feb 27, 2021 - Northern Iowa 94 vs. Illinois State 87
  • Feb 26, 2021 - Northern Iowa 70 vs. Illinois State 56
  • Feb 12, 2020 - Northern Iowa 71 vs. Illinois State 63
  • Dec 31, 2019 - Illinois State 76 vs. Northern Iowa 70
  • Feb 13, 2019 - Northern Iowa 77 vs. Illinois State 64
  • Jan 08, 2019 - Illinois State 70 vs. Northern Iowa 69
  • Feb 17, 2018 - Illinois State 79 vs. Northern Iowa 75
  • Jan 24, 2018 - Northern Iowa 83 vs. Illinois State 72
  • Feb 25, 2017 - Illinois State 63 vs. Northern Iowa 42
  • Feb 01, 2017 - Illinois State 57 vs. Northern Iowa 51
  • Feb 20, 2016 - Northern Iowa 75 vs. Illinois State 66
  • Jan 23, 2016 - Illinois State 76 vs. Northern Iowa 67