Who's Playing

Western Illinois @ UMKC

Current Records: Western Illinois 9-8; UMKC 7-11

What to Know

The UMKC Kangaroos won both of their matches against the Western Illinois Leathernecks last season (83-75 and 91-82) and are aiming for the same result Saturday. The Kangaroos and WIU will face off in a Summit battle at 8 p.m. ET at Swinney Recreation Center. UMKC is out to keep their three-game home win streak alive.

The St. Thomas (MN) Tommies typically have all the answers at home, but on Thursday UMKC proved too difficult a challenge. UMKC was the clear victor by an 81-60 margin over St. Thomas (MN).

Meanwhile, the oddsmakers predicted a rough contest for the Leathernecks on Thursday, and boy were they were right. They have to be aching after a bruising 87-63 defeat to the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles.

The Kangaroos are the favorite in this one, with an expected 5.5-point margin of victory. They might be worth taking a chance on against the spread as they are currently on a five-game streak of ATS wins.

UMKC's victory brought them up to 7-11 while WIU's loss pulled them down to 9-8. A pair of stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: UMKC has only been able to knock down 40.80% percent of their shots, which is the 14th lowest field goal percentage in college basketball. WIU has experienced some struggles of their own as they have allowed their opponents to shoot 45.90% from the floor on average, which is the 31st highest shooting percentage allowed in college basketball. It's possible one of these Achilles' heels will wind up tripping the losing team up.

How To Watch

  • When: Saturday at 8 p.m. ET
  • Where: Swinney Recreation Center -- Kansas City, Missouri
  • Follow: CBS Sports App

Odds

The Kangaroos are a solid 5.5-point favorite against the Leathernecks, according to the latest college basketball odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 5.5-point spread, and stayed right there.

Over/Under: -111

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Series History

UMKC have won all of the games they've played against Western Illinois in the last nine years.

  • Feb 05, 2022 - UMKC 91 vs. Western Illinois 82
  • Jan 31, 2022 - UMKC 83 vs. Western Illinois 75
  • Nov 30, 2019 - UMKC 68 vs. Western Illinois 67