Southern Illinois vs. Valparaiso Dunkel Predictions & Vegas Odds - Jan. 1

The Southern Illinois Salukis (6-8, 0-3 MVC) host the Valparaiso Beacons (6-7, 0-2 MVC) at Banterra Center, tipping off at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 1, 2026. The Beacons are 8.5-point underdogs in the game. The point total for the matchup is 144.5.

Southern Illinois heads into this game on the heels of an 84-81 loss to Murray State on Monday. Prince Aligbe scored a team-best 19 points for Southern Illinois in the loss. Valparaiso's last game on Monday ended in a 58-48 loss to Northern Iowa. Valparaiso got a team-leading 18 points from Owen Dease in the loss.

Southern Illinois vs. Valparaiso Odds and Game Time

• When: Thursday, January 1, 2026 at 3 p.m. ET
• Where: Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois
• Spread favorite: Southern Illinois -8.5
• Moneyline favorite: Southern Illinois -394
• Moneyline underdog: Valparaiso +315
• Over/Under: 144.5 points

How to watch Southern Illinois vs. Valparaiso

• TV Channel: ESPN+
• Check out the rest of our Dunkel Index NCAA Basketball Picks!

Betting the Over/Under: Southern Illinois vs. Valparaiso

• Southern Illinois and its opponents have combined to outscore Thursday's over/under (144.5 points) seven times this season.
• There have been five Valparaiso games that ended with a combined score higher than 144.5 points this season.
• Together, the two teams combine for 150.3 points per game, 5.8 points more than the over/under of 144.5 for this game.
• Together, the two teams combine to allow 144.5 points per game, matching the total for this matchup.
• On average, Southern Illinois has had a 153.2-point over/under in its games this season, 8.7 more points than the over/under in this matchup.
• Valparaiso's games have an average over/under of 141.5 points this season, 3.0 points lower than the over/under for this contest.

Betting the Spread: Southern Illinois vs. Valparaiso

• Southern Illinois has played 13 games, with seven wins against the spread.
• The Salukis have been favored by 8.5 points or more three times this season and have covered the spread in two of them.
• In Valparaiso's 12 games this season, it has eight wins against the spread.
• This year, the Beacons have an against-the-spread record of 3-1 in their four games as an underdog of 8.5 points or more.
• Southern Illinois has two wins against the spread, and is 3-1 overall, at home this season.
• At home, as a 8.5-point favorite or more, Southern Illinois has two wins ATS (2-1).
• This season on the road, Valparaiso is 4-1 against the spread and 1-4 overall.

Betting the Moneyline: Southern Illinois vs. Valparaiso

• This season, Southern Illinois has been moneyline favorites five times and won four of those games.
• The Salukis are undefeated in three games this season when favored by -394 or more on the moneyline.
• Southern Illinois has a 79.8% chance to win this game based on the implied probability of the moneyline.
• Valparaiso has won in one of the seven contests it has been named as the moneyline underdog this year.
• The Beacons have won all of their four games in which they were named as at least a +315 moneyline underdog.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies Valparaiso has a 24.1% chance of walking away with the win.