Illinois State vs Bradley Jan. 29 Free Pick
Two teams seemingly headed in opposite directions, Illinois State and Bradley square off Tuesday night in a Missouri Valley Conference clash. Winners of three straight after losing their first six conference games, the Red Birds of Illinois State will travel to Carver Arena looking to stay hot and get back into contention in the Valley. The home team looks to end a two-game losing streak in a game they have been listed at as a 4.5-point home underdog.
FREE PICK
Illinois State has been an enigma this year. They played Louisville tough for 40 minutes at the Yum Center and were considered a real contender to win the Missouri Valley along with Wichita State and Creighton. Six straight losses to begin conference play quickly wiped away hopes of winning the regular season crown but adversity might be just what this team needed. Since the losing streak, the Red Birds have ripped off three straight wins that began with a road win over Southern Illinois. Illinois State features two big-time scorers with sharp-shooter Tyler Brown and big man Jackie Carmichael. Guard Bryant Allen has big-play capability. The combination of Carmichael, Brown and Allen are the only trio in the nation to each have at least one thirty-point game this season. It also may not be a surprise that the Birds’ winning streak has coincided with the emergence of freshman point guard Kaza Keane. Keane h
as brought size and stability to a backcourt that has plenty of scoring punch but lacks in other facets of the game. Illinois State is 4-4 against the spread on the road this season.
It was not a fun weekend for Bradley when they traveled to Wichita State only to be walloped by 34 points at the hands of the Shockers. At 4-5 and the middle of the Missouri Valley Conference standings, the Braves will look to regroup ahead of this home game, where they are 7-2 on the year. The Braves feature an experienced and tough backcourt with Walt Lemon Jr. and Dyricus Simms-Edwards. A southpaw, Lemon Jr. leads the team in scoring with just over 14 points per game and Simms-Edwards is one of the conference’s best on-ball defenders (3 steals per game). Tyler Pickett provides some scoring punch in the front court with a clever i
nside game and a reliable mid-range jump shot. Center Will Egolf is often the x-factor for the Braves. The 6’9″ center is strong on the inside but prefers to face-up on the perimeter offensively, where he can score all the way out to the three-point line. He will have the very tough task of marking Jackie Carmichael on the inside. Bradley will look to to end an 0-7 run against the spread since January 6th.
Look for Bradley to re-group coming back to home and play a very competitive game in a desperate spot.
Free Pick: Bradley +4.5