The Redbirds will play the Crusaders on Wednesday, January 7th, 2026. Your timezone's tip off time is 8:00 pm EST. Check local listings or your nearest streaming app for coverage.
Review our College Basketball Betting guide to learn how to bet this game.
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Table of Contents
- Matchup Stats
- Moneyline Mage
- Best Odds
- Interactive Odds Example
- Prop Bets
- Team Standings
- Futures Odds
- Team Pages
- Other Games Today
Key Matchup Stats
Looking into the second half of the 2025-26 college basketball season, Illinois State and Valparaiso are set to hit the hardwood on Wednesday, January 7th, 2026. Luckily, we have some clear performance trends emerging now that each team has more than a dozen games under their belts. Use the following data to help analyze this matchup and to place an intelligent wager on its ultimate outcome.
- SportsBetting3.com Power Rankings - With the 2025-26 season in full stride, Illinois State currently has a 99.00 conference power ranking, while the SportsBetting3.com conference power ranking for Valparaiso is 95.33.
- Away Illinois State - Illinois State starts this game with a 3-1 record as an away team, ranking them 2nd in the Missouri Valley Conference for away team wins.
- Home Valparaiso - Valparaiso meets Illinois State boasting a 6-3 record as a home team. They currently rank 3rd in the Missouri Valley Conference for home team wins.
- Conference Win Percentage - Illinois State currently ranks 1st (1.000) in the Missouri Valley Conference, with Valparaiso now standing 5th (0.250) for their conference win percentage in the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference for the 2025-26 college basketball season.
- Overall Win Percentage - Illinois State has a 0.800 overall win percentage, with Valparaiso matching up with a 0.467 overall win percentage.
- Team Records - Illinois State currently possesses 12-3 regular season overall record. Meanwhile, Valparaiso has tallied a 7-8 standing as the 2025-26 college basketball season continues to unfold.
Moneyline Mage
Spelling out the winners with humor since the middle ages.

Hocus pocus, Illinois State 12-3, Valparaiso 7-8, clash in magical matchup.
Importance of conference records as Illinois State 4-0, Valparaiso 1-3.
Illinois State on 4-game win streak, Valparaiso coming off recent win. Review the tables below to find the best point spread, total, and moneylines for this game. You can bet on college basketball legally at BetRivers and BetMGM. We've also listed each team's futures odds and current standings below.
Best Redbirds at Crusaders Odds
| Underdog Valparaiso | Favorite Illinois State |
|---|---|
| Over | Under |
|---|---|
| Underdog Valparaiso | Favorite Illinois State |
|---|---|
Matchup Odds FAQs
Illinois State is a -7.5 -110 point spread favorite at BetMGM, while Valparaiso is a +7.5 -110 point spread underdog at BetMGM.
The best over line is 138.5 -105 points at BetMGM, which means you risk $105 to win $100 betting the over. The best under line is 138.5 -115 points at BetMGM, and that means you risk $115 to win $100 betting the under.
Illinois State is a -325 moneyline favorite at BetMGM and Valparaiso is a +260 moneyline underdog at BetMGM.
College Basketball Odds Example
|
Game |
Bet |
|---|---|
Illinois State
Valparaiso
1/07/26 8:00pm EST | -7.5 -110+7.5 -110 |
Underdog Valparaiso - Valparaiso bettors risk $100 to win $90.91 at -110 odds.
A +7.5 Valparaiso underdog bet wins if they lose by 7 or fewer, tie, or win outright. Your bet loses if they lose by 8 or more.
Favorite Illinois State - Illinois State bettors risk $100 to win $90.91 at -110 odds.
A -7.5 Illinois State favorite bet wins if they win by 8 or more. Your bet loses if they win by 7 or fewer, tie, or lose outright.
Illinois State at Valparaiso Prop Bets
Important Note: Some states expressly forbid individual college athlete prop bets. The following wagers may not be available depending on your particular state laws.
Bet |
|
|---|---|
Illinois State
Valparaiso
First to 5 Points
1/07/26 8:00pm EST | -145+105Bet |
Illinois State
Valparaiso
First to 10 Points
1/07/26 8:00pm EST | -165+120Bet |
Illinois State
Valparaiso
First to 15 Points
1/07/26 8:00pm EST | -185+130Bet |
Illinois State
Valparaiso
Game to Overtime
1/07/26 8:00pm EST | Yes +825No -3000Bet |
Team Standings
| Team | W-L | Win% | Home | Away | Conf | CGB | Conf% | Strk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois State | 16-9 | 0.640 | 10-2 | 4-5 | 8-6 | +3.5 | 0.571 | L1 |
| Valparaiso | 13-12 | 0.520 | 10-4 | 3-8 | 7-7 | +4.5 | 0.500 | W2 |
Illinois State & Valparaiso Futures Odds
Latest College Basketball Championship odds, if available, for each team. Review March Madness odds for other teams and learn how to bet on the college basketball tournament. Also be sure to read Ron Halfback's Final Four write-up.
Illinois State Championship OddsNo NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament TM Illinois State YR: futures available
Valparaiso Championship OddsNo NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament TM Valparaiso YR: futures available
Illinois State & Valparaiso Team Pages
Review each team's futures odds, betting bonuses, current standings and other valuable information on our exclusive team betting odds pages. Team betting odds and stats update throughout the season:
How to Bet on the Game
Time needed: 4 minutes.
How to Bet on the Illinois State vs Valparaiso College Basketball Game
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Open a new sports betting account before game time.
Review our list of sports betting sites. Open a new account before the game starts on Wednesday, January 7th, 2026 at 8:00 pm EST, making sure to enter all your personal details correctly. Don't forget to add your bonus code.
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Visit the sportsbook’s cashier, banking, or deposit page.
Navigate to the sportsbook's deposit page. Use your Visa card or MasterCard, or deposit with a bank transfer, or other methods like Paypal.
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Tap to the sportsbook's College Basketball page, look for the Illinois State vs Valparaiso Game.
Navigate to the sportsbook's College Basketball page. Next, look for live or upcoming matchups. Select the Illinois State vs Valparaiso Game.
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Choose your bet and place a wager.
Choose your bet and then use the funds you deposited to place a wager. The sportsbook will pay your winnings or deduct a losing wager from your account balance after the game.
Other January 7, 2026 NCAABB Games
- Furman vs Chattanooga
- Loyola (MD) vs Army
- Holy Cross vs Lehigh
- UNC Greensboro vs Wofford
- Longwood vs UNC Asheville
- Charleston Southern vs Winthrop
- Indiana vs Maryland
- The Citadel vs Mercer
- VMI vs East Tennessee State
- Western Carolina vs Samford
- Xavier vs Marquette
- Presbyterian vs Radford
- Bucknell vs Navy
- American vs Colgate
- Gardner-Webb vs High Point
- Boston University vs Lafayette
- Stanford vs Virginia Tech
- Saint Louis vs VCU
- La Salle vs Rhode Island
- Belmont vs Northern Iowa
- UConn vs Providence
- Duquesne vs Saint Joseph's
- East Carolina vs Temple
- FIU vs Jacksonville State
- George Mason vs Fordham
- Marshall vs James Madison
- Miami (FL) vs Wake Forest
- Richmond vs St. Bonaventure
- Oklahoma vs Mississippi State
- Missouri State vs Kennesaw State
- Missouri vs Kentucky
- Purdue Fort Wayne vs Youngstown State
- Creighton vs Villanova
- Rice vs Wichita State
- Florida Atlantic vs UAB
- Charlotte vs UTSA
- Troy vs Arkansas State
- USF vs North Texas
- Murray State vs Evansville
- Iowa State vs Baylor
- Southern Illinois vs UIC
- Washington vs Purdue
- Utah vs Colorado
- SMU vs Clemson
- Alabama vs Vanderbilt
- Arizona State vs BYU
- Arkansas vs Ole Miss
- California vs Virginia
- Davidson vs Loyola Chicago
- Drake vs Bradley
- Kansas State vs Arizona
- South Dakota vs St. Thomas
- Grand Canyon vs Boise State