The Tigers will play the Leathernecks on Thursday, January 8th, 2026. Your timezone's tip off time is 8:30 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, Tennessee State and Western Illinois are set to hit the hardwood on Thursday, January 8th, 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, Tennessee State currently has a 99.00 conference power ranking, while the SportsBetting3.com conference power ranking for Western Illinois is 94.00.
- Away Tennessee State - Tennessee State starts this game with a 5-4 record as an away team, ranking them 1st in the Ohio Valley Conference for away team wins.
- Home Western Illinois - Western Illinois meets Tennessee State boasting a 3-3 record as a home team. They currently rank 4th in the Ohio Valley Conference for home team wins.
- Conference Win Percentage - Tennessee State currently ranks 2nd (0.750) in the Ohio Valley Conference, with Western Illinois now standing 6th (0.000) for their conference win percentage in the 2025 Ohio Valley Conference for the 2025-26 college basketball season.
- Overall Win Percentage - Tennessee State has a 0.643 overall win percentage, with Western Illinois matching up with a 0.267 overall win percentage.
- Team Records - Tennessee State currently possesses 9-5 regular season overall record. Meanwhile, Western Illinois has tallied a 4-11 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! Tennessee State 9-5 goes to Western Illinois 4-11 on Thursday.
Conference records crucial for tournament seeds. Tennessee State 3-1, Western Illinois 0-4.
Tennessee State on 2-win streak, Western Illinois on 4-loss streak. 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 Tigers at Leathernecks Odds
| Underdog Western Illinois | Favorite Tennessee State |
|---|---|
| Over | Under |
|---|---|
| Underdog Western Illinois | Favorite Tennessee State |
|---|---|
Matchup Odds FAQs
Tennessee State is a -6.5 -110 point spread favorite at BetMGM, while Western Illinois is a +6.5 -110 point spread underdog at BetMGM.
The best over line is 146.5 -110 points at BetMGM, which means you risk $110 to win $100 betting the over. The best under line is 146.5 -110 points at BetMGM, and that means you risk $110 to win $100 betting the under.
Tennessee State is a -275 moneyline favorite at BetMGM and Western Illinois is a +225 moneyline underdog at BetMGM.
College Basketball Odds Example
|
Game |
 BetMGMBet |
|---|---|
Tennessee State
Western Illinois
1/08/26 8:30pm EST | -6.5 -110+6.5 -110 |
Underdog Western Illinois - Western Illinois bettors risk $100 to win $90.91 at -110 odds.
A +6.5 Western Illinois underdog bet wins if they lose by 6 or fewer, tie, or win outright. Your bet loses if they lose by 7 or more.
Favorite Tennessee State - Tennessee State bettors risk $100 to win $90.91 at -110 odds.
A -6.5 Tennessee State favorite bet wins if they win by 7 or more. Your bet loses if they win by 6 or fewer, tie, or lose outright.
Tennessee State at Western Illinois 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.
| BetMGM Bet |
|
|---|---|
Tennessee State
Western Illinois
First to 5 Points
1/08/26 8:30pm EST | -145+105Bet |
Tennessee State
Western Illinois
First to 10 Points
1/08/26 8:30pm EST | -155+110Bet |
Tennessee State
Western Illinois
First to 15 Points
1/08/26 8:30pm EST | -165+120Bet |
Tennessee State
Western Illinois
Game to Overtime
1/08/26 8:30pm EST | Yes +850No -3000Bet |
Team Standings
| Team | W-L | Win% | Home | Away | Conf | CGB | Conf% | Strk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee State | 17-9 | 0.654 | 8-2 | 8-7 | 11-5 | +0.5 | 0.688 | L1 |
| Western Illinois | 5-22 | 0.185 | 4-8 | 1-14 | 1-15 | +10.5 | 0.063 | L1 |
Tennessee State & Western Illinois 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.
Tennessee State Championship OddsNo NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament TM Tennessee State YR: futures available
Western Illinois Championship OddsNo NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament TM Western Illinois YR: futures available
Tennessee State & Western Illinois 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 Tennessee State vs Western Illinois 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 Thursday, January 8th, 2026 at 8:30 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 Tennessee State vs Western Illinois Game.
Navigate to the sportsbook's College Basketball page. Next, look for live or upcoming matchups. Select the Tennessee State vs Western Illinois 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 8, 2026 NCAABB Games
- Hofstra vs Towson
- Chicago State vs Fairleigh Dickinson
- UMass Lowell vs Bryant
- Maine vs UMBC
- Northwestern vs Michigan State
- William & Mary vs Monmouth
- New Hampshire vs NJIT
- Elon vs North Carolina A&T
- West Georgia vs North Florida
- UNC Wilmington vs Northeastern
- Lipscomb vs Stetson
- Binghamton vs Vermont
- St. Francis (PA) vs Wagner
- New Haven vs Le Moyne
- Liberty vs Louisiana Tech
- Mercyhurst vs LIU
- Central Arkansas vs Bellarmine
- Hampton vs Campbell
- Stonehill vs Central Connecticut
- Old Dominion vs Coastal Carolina
- Stony Brook vs Drexel
- North Alabama vs Eastern Kentucky
- Austin Peay vs Florida Gulf Coast
- Appalachian State vs Georgia State
- Queens Charlotte vs Jacksonville
- UT-Martin vs Morehead State
- Delaware vs Sam Houston State
- Southern Utah vs Utah Valley
- Abilene Christian vs Tarleton
- Texas State vs Southern Miss
- Denver vs South Dakota State
- North Dakota vs Omaha
- North Dakota State vs UMKC
- Weber State vs Northern Arizona
- Idaho State vs Northern Colorado
- Rutgers vs Illinois
- Tennessee Tech vs Eastern Illinois
- UL Monroe vs Louisiana
- SE Missouri State vs Southern Indiana
- Arkansas Little Rock vs SIU Edwardsville
- Western Kentucky vs New Mexico State
- Middle Tennessee vs UTEP
- UC Davis vs UC Santa Barbara
- Montana vs Idaho
- Montana State vs Eastern Washington
- UC Riverside vs Cal State Bakersfield
- Pepperdine vs San Diego
- Cal State Fullerton vs UC San Diego
- Long Beach State vs UC Irvine
- Pacific vs Portland
- Utah Tech vs California Baptist
- Cal Poly vs Cal State Northridge
- Seattle vs Oregon State
- Ohio State vs Oregon
- San Francisco vs Loyola Marymount
- Santa Clara vs Gonzaga