The Northern Illinois Panthers will take on the Indiana State Sycamores in the NCAA at the Hulman Center on Thursday (December 22).
The Panthers are off to a terrible 3-9 record at the start of the 2022-23 NCAA Basketball season. They're 12th in the Mid-American Conference and on a four-game losing streak. They're coming off a 83-78 loss against the Albany Great Danes.
Meanwhile, the Sycamores, who are on a brilliant 9-3 run on the season, are first in the Missouri Valley Conference but on a two-game losing streak. They're coming off a 92-86 defeat to Duquesne Dukes in their last game.
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Northern Illinois Panthers vs Indiana State Sycamores: Betting Odds
The Panthers have struggled this season, with only three wins but nine losses. The wins came against the Purdue-Calumet Peregrines (99-73), Long Island University Sharks (86-61) and Eastern Illinois Panthers (90-70). They now have a tough away game to contend with.
The team has been below par offensively, averaging only 69.4 points per game whereas defensively, they have conceded 77.8 points per outing, which ranks 345th in the league.
The Sycamores, meanwhile, have made a brilliant start to the season with nine wins and only three losses. They suffered defeats against the UMKC Kangaroos (63-61), Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles (88-85) and Duquesne Dukes (92-86).
They're one of the top teams in the league when it comes to scoring, averaging a healthy 83.5 points per game, which ranks 20th in the league while conceding 72.7 points per outing.
Northern Illinois Panthers vs Indiana State Sycamores: Match Details
Fixture: Northern Illinois Panthers vs Indiana State Sycamores
Date & Time: Thursday, December 22; 01:00 pm ET
Venue: Hulman Center, Terre Haute, Indiana
Northern Illinois Panthers vs Indiana State Sycamores: Prediction
Twenty-one of the last 27 games for the Sycaromes have gone below the total mark against a team with a losing record. The two teams have played each other four times previously and are tied on two wins apiece.
However, they're playing after six years, and a lot of things have changed since then. Indiana State is having a much better season compared to Northern Illinois, so expect an easy outing for the home team.