College Basketball Betting: Illinois State at Oakland
The only ‘main board’ college basketball game on a short Monday of sports action will feature Missouri Valley Conference entrant Illinois State hitting the road to take on Oakland from the Horizon League. Illinois State started the season losing four of their first five games but have since won four straight games, albeit against a lower class of opponent (only two of these games were on the betting board). Oakland has taken the other extreme to the start of their season-they’ve limped to a 2-9 SU record in the early going but that’s due to a downright brutal non conference slate.
Illinois State has several things working for them in this matchup. The most significant could likely be the fact that they’ll be very well rested for this contest having last played (and won) a full nine days ago. They upset Dayton at home on that occasion and perhaps bettors and linesmakers are making more of that victory than they should-Dayton took a path very similar to Oakland in the early going playing a tough schedule and coming in to the Redbirds’ gym exhausted and road weary. It also presents a situation that could be problematic for Illinois State-they may have become rusty in the nine days since they last played and the fact that they’ve been sitting around hearing how great their previous victory was doesn’t prepare a team for a tough matchup.
Oakland coach Greg Kampe has to know this is a fairly big matchup for them. It’s always a risky bet to subject a mid-major team to a brutal early season matchup. The rationale is that starting the season with a tough level of competition will make the conference season much easier. Illinois State isn’t a conference rival but they’re definitely the type of team that Oakland should be able to beat. We’ll look for the home team to win and cover this game-Illinois State overachieved in their last game and they’re facing a battle hardened Oakland team that should be able to win and cover here. Kampe knows that losing games like this will make his boosters question their early season strategy and that’s the last thing a coach wants heading in to the Christmas season.
BET OAKLAND -3′ OVER ILLINOIS STATE