The Ohio Valley Conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament is up for grabs tonight as the SIU Edwardsville Cougars take on the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks.
The Redhawks dominated the two regular season matchups against the Cougars, and I’m taking them to cover again tonight in my SIU Edwardsville vs. SE Missouri State predictions.
Read on below to see my full analysis of the Ohio Valley Championship game in my free college basketball picks for Saturday, March 8.
SIU Edwardsville vs SE Missouri State prediction
Who will win SIU Edwardsville vs SE Missouri State?
With a guaranteed spot in March Madness on the line, we can expect both teams to be at their best. If that’s the case, it’s hard to pick against Southeast Missouri, which won the first two matchups against SIUE this season by at least 15 points.
I’m predicting another comfortable win for the Redhawks tonight.
My best bet
Southeast Missouri -3 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
After a slow start that saw it sitting at 10-10 on Jan. 23, Southeast Missouri has won 11 of its last 12 games heading into tonight’s championship game. The Redhawks have also covered in eight of their last nine games and have generally been blowing out their Ohio Valley competition, with each of their last six wins coming by double digits.
SIU Edwardsville wasn’t quite as strong down the stretch, losing three of its last seven games. Perhaps more importantly, the Cougars weren’t all that competitive in either of their two matchups with the Redhawks this season. Southeast Missouri won by 16 at home back in December, then beat the Cougars in Edwardsville by 15 less than two weeks ago.
In both games, the Redhawks reached 80+ points. The most recent matchup saw complete domination from the Southeast Missouri backcourt, with junior guard Rob Martin scoring 31 points while senior Teddy Washington Jr. added 28. The two guards combined to shoot 24-for-40 (60%) from the field.
Simply put, the Cougars can’t compete with that level of scoring. Ray’Sean Taylor leads SIUE with 19.3 points per game, but nobody else on the team averages more than 12 points per night. The Cougars rate 257th in adjusted offensive rating at KenPom and are averaging 72.7 ppg — outside the national top 200.
Based on the first two matchups between these teams — as well as their overall talent levels and the matchup issues for the Cougars — I expect to see more of the same this evening. The Redhawks should be able to put this game away offensively and send Southeast Missouri to its second NCAA Tournament appearance in three years.
SIU Edwardsville vs SE Missouri State same-game parlay (SGP)
Southeast Missouri -2.5
Over 135.5
Southeast Missouri 1H moneyline
Along with backing the Redhawks to cover tonight, I’m also interested in the Over as a strong bet in this game. Both teams regularly play to totals above tonight’s number, and each of the first two matchups between these sides hit the Over.
I’m also going to take Southeast Missouri to win the first half outright. In the two regular season matchups between these teams, the Redhawks had little trouble jumping out to early leads. As only a -130 favorite to win the first half, this bet adds some decent value to our SGP.
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SIU Edwardsville vs SE Missouri State odds
SIU Edwardsville vs SE Missouri State live odds
SIU Edwardsville vs SE Missouri State opening odds
- Spread: SIU Edwardsville +2.5 (-110) | SE Missouri State -2.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: SIU Edwardsville +120 | SE Missouri State -140
- Over/Under: Over 136 (-110) | Under 136 (-110)
Odds courtesy of bet365
SIU Edwardsville vs SE Missouri State betting trend to know
Southeast Missouri State is 8-1 ATS in its last nine meetings against the Cougars. Find more college basketball betting trends for SIU Edwardsville vs. SE Missouri State.
How to watch SIU Edwardsville vs SE Missouri State
| Location | Ford Center, Evansville, IN |
| Date | Saturday, 3-9-2025 |
| Tip-off | 9:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN2 |
SIU Edwardsville vs SE Missouri State key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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