SIU-Edwardsville vs. Western Illinois betting: College basketball preview for Feb. 26

Data Skrive

The SIU-Edwardsville Cougars (17-12, 10-8 OVC) take a three-game losing streak into a home matchup with the Western Illinois Leathernecks (5-24, 1-17 OVC), who have lost three straight as well. The Cougars are heavy favorites (-13.5) in the contest, which starts at 8:30 p.m. ET (on ESPN+) on Thursday, February 26, 2026. The matchup has a point total of 135.5.

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SIU-Edwardsville Cover -13.5 vs Western Illinois -112

Bet $20, Payout $37.86

SIU-Edwardsville vs. Western Illinois betting lines

  • SIU-Edwardsville moneyline odds to win: -1449
  • Western Illinois moneyline odds to win: +799
  • Spread: SIU-Edwardsville (-13.5)
  • Total: 135.5

SIU-Edwardsville statistics, trends and more

As the home team

  • SIU-Edwardsville has a worse record against the spread in home games (3-7-0) than it does in away games (9-6-0).
  • In terms of point totals, the Cougars hit the over more often at home, as they’ve gone over the total four times in 10 opportunities this season (40%). In road games, they have hit the over five times in 15 opportunities (33.3%).
  • SIU-Edwardsville has performed worse as a moneyline favorite when playing at home, sporting a home record of 3-4, compared to going 3-3 on the road.

Recent trends

  • On the offensive side of the ball, the Cougars have had a tough time putting the ball in the basket over their last 10 games, scoring 66.3 points per contest over that stretch compared to the 70.9 they’ve racked up over the course of this year.
  • SIU-Edwardsville’s defense has been tougher as of late, as the team has allowed 64.9 points per game during its past 10 compared to the 65.4 points per game its opponents average on the season.
  • During their last 10 outings, the Cougars are making 0.1 fewer three-pointers per game than their season long average (7.0 compared to 7.1 season-long), while shooting a higher percentage from beyond the arc in that span (35.2% compared to 34.4% season-long).

SIU-Edwardsville betting records this season

  • ATS Record: 13-13-0 (Home: 3-7-0; Away: 9-6-0)
  • O-U-P: 10-16-0 (Home: 4-6-0; Away: 5-10-0)
  • Record When Moneyline Favorite: 7-7 (Home: 3-4; Away: 3-3)
  • Record When Moneyline Underdog: 7-5 (Home: 2-1; Away: 5-4)
Field Goal % Opp. Field Goal % Rebounds Opp. Rebounds Assists Turnovers
44.3 (242nd in nation) 39.5 (13th) 32.8 (133rd) 31.2 (198th) 13.0 (249th) 10.9 (178th)

Need to know more about sports betting before you put down a wager on SIU-Edwardsville vs. Western Illinois? Here’s everything you need to know about how to bet.

Western Illinois statistics, trends and more

As the away team

  • In 2025-26 against the spread, Western Illinois has a lower winning percentage at home (.273, 3-8-0 record) than away (.533, 8-7-0).
  • Looking at the over/under, Leathernecks games have finished over more often at home (six of 11, 54.5%) than on the road (six of 15, 40%).
  • The Leathernecks’ winning percentage at home as moneyline underdogs is .091 (1-10), and on the road it is .067 (1-14).

Recent trends

  • While the Leathernecks are posting 65.3 points per game in 2025-26, they have fallen short of that in their last 10 games, tallying 64.2 points per contest.
  • While Western Illinois is ceding 76.7 points per game in 2025-26, it has been worse in its past 10 games, allowing 81.4 points per contest.
  • The Leathernecks are draining 7.0 threes per contest over their previous 10 games, which is 1.3 more than their average for the season (5.7). Likewise, they own a better three-point percentage over their previous 10 games (34.1%) compared to their season average from downtown (31.1%).

Western Illinois betting records this season

  • ATS Record: 11-15-0 (Home: 3-8-0; Away: 8-7-0)
  • ATS Record When Underdog by 13.5+: 4-3-0 (As Favorite: 0-0-0; As Underdog: 11-15-0)
  • O-U-P: 12-14-0 (Home: 6-5-0; Away: 6-9-0)
  • Record When Moneyline Favorite: 0-0 (Home: 0-0; Away: 0-0)
  • Record When Moneyline Underdog: 2-24 (Home: 1-10; Away: 1-14)
Field Goal % Opp. Field Goal % Rebounds Opp. Rebounds Assists Turnovers
40.7 (352nd in nation) 47.2 (325th) 29.2 (313th) 33.9 (330th) 8.3 (365th) 10.7 (150th)
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