SIU Edwardsville Cougars vs Western Illinois Leathernecks Prediction, 12/22/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: SIU Edwardsville Cougars vs Western Illinois Leathernecks

Date: Monday, December 22, 2025

Location: Western Hall in Macomb, IL

TV: ESPN+

Western Hall is the location where the Western Illinois Leathernecks (4-8) will go up against the SIU Edwardsville Cougars (7-5) on Monday.

The SIU Edwardsville Cougars played Eastern Illinois and went home with a loss by a final score of 76-72 in their last contest. SIU Edwardsville ended the game with a 41.4% FG percentage (24 of 58) and made 11 of their 24 3-point attempts. At the charity stripe, the Cougars converted 13 of their 16 tries for a percentage of 81.3%. In relation to pulling down boards, they collected a total of 28 with 8 of them being on the offensive end. They also distributed 17 assists in the game as well as forcing the other team into 14 turnovers and earning 7 steals. In regard to the defense, SIU Edwardsville allowed the other team to go 49.1% from the field on 28 of 57 shooting. Eastern Illinois doled out 13 dimes and had 11 steals in this matchup. Additionally, Eastern Illinois collected 37 rebounds (9 offensive, 28 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Eastern Illinois ended up going 76.5% at the charity stripe by burying 13 of 17 attempts. They also buried 7 of 20 shots from 3-point range. With respect to fouls, the Cougars ended up walking away with 16 while Eastern Illinois accumulated 13 fouls.

Ring Malith is one player who played a role in the matchup. He finished with 23 points on 5 of 12 shooting. He played for 39 mins and also pulled down 5 boards. He finished the contest at 41.7% from the floor and also totaled 2 assists.

Get all of our NCAA Betting Picks

SIU Edwardsville will enter this matchup with a mark of 7-5 so far this season. They are losing possession via turnover 10.8 times per contest and as a group are committing 15.8 fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, SIU Edwardsville is snagging 38.8 boards per game and has accounted for 171 dimes so far this year, which has them ranked 157th in the nation in terms of passing. The Cougars are hitting 32.6% on 3-point shots (88 of 270) and 67.4% from the charity stripe. They average 77.8 points per contest (176th in college) while connecting on 45.6% from the field.

On defense, the Cougars have forced 14.1 turnovers per contest while drawing 16.1 fouls. They are conceding 30.9% on shots from distance and they are 46th in Division 1 in PPG allowed (66.9). The Cougars defensively are giving up a shooting percentage of 39.5% (273 of 691) and they surrender 35.3 boards per contest as a team. They currently rank 67th in college in giving up assists to the opposition with 127 surrendered so far this season.

For their last game, the Western Illinois Leathernecks took a loss by a score of 92-76 against Lindenwood. When talking about cleaning the glass, Western Illinois allowed Lindenwood to grab 39 in total (13 on the offensive glass). They shot 47.4% from distance by going 9 out of 19 and finished the contest at 19 of 34 from the free throw line (55.9%). The Leathernecks permitted Lindenwood to knock down 32 out of their 63 attempts from the field which gave them a shooting percentage of 50.8% for this game. When the game finished, the Leathernecks went 29 for 60 from the floor which gave them a rate of 48.3%. With regard to shots from beyond the arc, Western Illinois made 3 out of their 13 tries (23.1%). They were able to convert 15 of the free throw tries for a rate of 53.6%. Lindenwood earned 19 personal fouls in the game which got the Leathernecks to the free throw line for a total of 28 attempts. They turned the ball over 9 times, while recording 8 steals for this game. The Leathernecks pulled down 24 defensive boards and 5 offensive rebounds for a total of 29 for this contest.

Antwaun Massey ended up being important for the Leathernecks for this game. He recorded 33 points in his 30 minutes on the hardwood, but didn't get an assist. He made 15 out of 21 in this matchup for a rate of 71.4%, and tallied 5 rebounds.

Western Illinois has a win-loss mark of 4-8 for the season. When it comes to executing on offense, the Leathernecks are hitting on 42.6% from the floor, which is 305th in the nation. Western Illinois has accounted for 826 points so far this season (68.8 per contest) and they collect 35.3 boards per contest. They are assisting teammates 8.1 times per game (365th in college hoops) and they are turning it over 12.2 times per game. The Leathernecks have committed 17.0 fouls per game and they hit 66.7% from the charity stripe.

The Western Illinois defense allows 36.6% on 3-pointers (111 of 303) and their opponents are making 71.4% of their shots from the charity stripe. They give up 13.9 assists and 34.0 boards on a nightly basis, which ranks 223rd and 157th in those categories on the defensive end. The Leathernecks on the defensive side of the court are 244th in Division 1 in points per game surrendered with 75.9. They have forced 11.0 TO's per game and have allowed teams to shoot 46.1% from the field (302nd in college hoops).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Western Illinois

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Get college basketball picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bets by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.