SIU Edwardsville vs. Southeast Missouri State Prediction, Odds & Score Picks: OVC Final Best Bets

The winner of the Ohio Valley Conference final between the SIU Edwardsville Cougars and Southeast Missouri State Redhawks will punch the first ticket to March Madness tonight.

Our SIU Edwardsville vs. Southeast Missouri State prediction, odds, and expert picks for the OVC Final believes the Cougars will be motivated to qualify for the “Big Dance” for the first time and cover the 2.5-point spread.

SEMO beat SIUE 80-64 and 83-68 during the two regular-season meetings, but I expect this OVC Final to play out much differently.

💰 SIU Edwardsville vs. Southeast Missouri State predictions, expert picks & best bets: Ohio Valley Conference final

Here are my best SIU Edwardsville vs. Southeast Missouri State predictions, expert picks, and best bets today for Ohio Valley Conference final with my pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale. Be sure to check out the rest of our college basketball picks along with our guide on how to bet on college basketball.

• Against the spread pick: SIU Edwardsville +2.5 (-105 via BetMGM) vs. Southeast Missouri State ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• My best team prop bet: SIU Edwardsville Under 31.5 first half points (-122 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Exact score prediction: SIUE Edwardsville 68, Southeast Missouri State 66 (+16000 via DraftKings) ⭐

🏀 SIU Edwardsville vs. Southeast Missouri State ATS prediction & best player prop bet pick

Here's why I'm betting on SIU Edwardsville to cover the spread (+2.5) while targeting SIU Edwardsville Under 31.5 first half points as my best player team bet pick for today:

✅ SIU Edwardsville to cover the spread (+2.5) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

SEMO had won 10 straight games before losing to Eastern Illinois in the regular-season finale. And while the Redhawks won eight of those games by double digits, the metrics suggested that their success was not sustainable.

SEMO entered its second meeting with SIUE on Feb. 27 ranked 272nd in ShotQuality’s offensive efficiency metric, and 205th in KenPom. That was largely because the Redhawks are built on a lot of dribbling and contested mid-range jumpers.

The Redhawks also ranked in the seventh percentile in rim offense per Synergy, and protecting the rim is the strength of the SIUE defense (it owned the OVC’s best 2-point percentage defense in home games).

SIUE is an afterthought for many despite finishing the regular season with the second-best league record, mostly because it has never played in the NCAA Tournament.

But prior to the OVC Tournament, the Cougars had +270 futures odds to win their two games compared to the +150 odds for SEMO at DraftKings, which suggests not much separates these two teams.

📊 Best odds: -105 via BetMGM (bet $10 to win $9.52)

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🔥 SIU Edwardsville Under 31.5 first half points ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Despite picking the Cougars to cover the full-game spread, I am expecting them to start slow with the pressure of their first NCAA Tournament bid on the line weighing on them.

It is difficult to get anything in transition on SEMO, which denies transition opportunities at the 20th percentile and ranks in the 99th percentile in transition denial efficiency.

SIUE scored a total of 11 points in transition in the two regular-season meetings between these teams, and it will be challenging for the Cougars to score early in a half-court setting before they get their legs under them.

I do not mind paying up slightly for the -122 juice at FanDuel, as DraftKings has a lower first-half O/U of 30.5 points.

📊 Best odds: -122 via FanDuel (bet $10 to win $8.20)

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🎯 Expert SIU Edwardsville vs. Southeast Missouri State score prediction

🔮 Expert score prediction: SIU Edwardsville 68, Southeast Missouri State 66

Southeast Missouri State beat SIU Edwardsville by an average of 16 points in the two regular-season meetings, but it is difficult to beat a team three times in one season. That is why I’m calling for an upset and predicting a final score of SIUE 68, SEMO 66.

📊 Best odds: +16000 via DraftKings (bet $10 to win $1600)

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📊 Live SIU Edwardsville vs. Southeast Missouri State odds & latest betting splits

Here are the latest odds for SIU Edwardsville vs. Southeast Missouri State, which update live in real time. You can also check out our NEW college basketball player prop odds tool for the latest college basketball odds on any market across legal sportsbooks in your region.

🔢 SIU Edwardsville vs. Southeast Missouri State opening odds

Here's a look at the opening odds for SIU Edwardsville vs. Southeast Missouri State according to BetMGM.

• Spread: SIU Edwardsville +2.5 (-110) | Southeast Missouri State -2.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: SIU Edwardsville +125 | Southeast Missouri State -155
• Over/Under: Over 135.5 (-115) | Under 135.5 (-105)

🏆 Who will win SIU Edwardsville vs. Southeast Missouri State?

As of Saturday afternoon, Southeast Missouri State is favored by 2.5 points to beat SIU Edwardsville with moneyline odds of -150 at BetMGM, which suggest a 60% win probability for the Redhawks. We're predicting a 68-66 win for SIU Edwardsville as our final score projection.

So far, 69% of bettors have wagered against the spread on Southeast Missouri State -2.5, while 63% of bettors expect the game to finish Over the projected total of 135.5 points.

In the hours before tipoff the spread has shifted to Southeast Missouri State -3 at some of our best sports betting apps.

📺 How to watch SIU Edwardsville vs. Southeast Missouri State today/tonight

📅 Date: Saturday, March 8
🕗 Time: 9 p.m. ET
📍 Location: Ford Center (Evansville, Ind.)
📺 TV: ESPN2
💻 Streaming: ESPN+

❓ SIU Edwardsville vs. Southeast Missouri State FAQs

Who's favored to win the Ohio Valley Conference tournament?

Southeast Missouri State is a slight moneyline favorite to beat SIU Edwardsville. The Redhawks are trading at -150 at our best sports betting apps, giving them a 60% implied probability.

What are the betting odds for SIU Edwardsville vs. Southeast Missouri State?

The latest spread is Southeast Missouri State -2.5 (-115) | SIU Edwardsville +2.5 (-105), with a total ranging from 134.5 to 135.5 points (-110).

What will be the final score of SIU Edwardsville vs. Southeast Missouri State?

We're predicting a final score of SIU Edwardsville 68, Southeast Missouri State 66 entering today’s matchup at the Ford Center.

What time is SIU Edwardsville vs. Southeast Missouri State tonight?

Tipoff for SIU Edwardsville vs. Southeast Missouri State is slated for 9 p.m. ET tonight.

⛹️ Best college basketball betting sites

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