Northern Iowa Panthers vs Southern Illinois Salukis predictions, Feb 21, 2026

Yuriy Borshchenko

7 months ago

NCAA College Basketball, on Saturday, 6:00 pm ET

Score, Highlights

Short Preview

On February 21, 2026, the Northern Iowa Panthers will host the Southern Illinois Salukis in what promises to be an intriguing NCAA College Basketball matchup.

Northern Iowa enters this contest in strong form, having secured victories in 4 of their last 5 games. They have shown versatility in their play style, employing an effective blend of perimeter shooting and robust defense, which has been pivotal in their recent successes. The Panthers will look to capitalize on their home court advantage, where they have consistently performed well, further bolstered by a competitive edge against conference rivals.

In contrast, the Southern Illinois Salukis have also had commendable performances lately, winning 3 of their last 5 outings. While their offense has shown flashes of brilliance, especially in transition, they will need to improve their defensive consistency to be competitive. The Salukis possess the ability to challenge their opponents with aggressive rebounding and strategic playmaking, but they may find it difficult to manage Northern Iowa’s home-court energy.

Bookmakers currently favor Northern Iowa with odds of 1.31 compared to Southern Illinois at 3.04. Our model gives the Panthers a 64.1% chance of winning. However, as both teams are in decent form, the outcome remains undecided, making this a highly competitive fixture.

This preview is generated with the Welcome.Bet AI Insights Engine, combining form data, betting odds, and semantic SEO optimization to deliver relevant match analysis for fans and bettors alike from 2026-02-20T23:52:03+00:00.

Northern Iowa
72.4%

Southern Illinois
27.6%

Prediction (the most likely score): 70:63

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Betting Odds

	1	X	2
	1.28		3.4
	1.3		3.47
	1.3		3.4
	1.31		3.04

Latest Results

18.02.26 Indiana State Sycamores basketball – Northern Iowa Panthers basketball – 60:81
15.02.26 Northern Iowa Panthers basketball – Drake Bulldogs basketball – 86:62
12.02.26 Belmont Bruins basketball – Northern Iowa Panthers basketball – 91:86
09.02.26 Murray State Racers basketball – Northern Iowa Panthers basketball – 60:89
06.02.26 Northern Iowa Panthers basketball – Bradley Braves basketball – 61:49

18.02.26 Drake Bulldogs basketball – Southern Illinois Salukis basketball – 61:66
15.02.26 Southern Illinois Salukis basketball – Bradley Braves basketball – 60:70
12.02.26 Southern Illinois Salukis basketball – Evansville Purple Aces basketball – 86:60
09.02.26 Indiana State Sycamores basketball – Southern Illinois Salukis basketball – 65:80
06.02.26 Southern Illinois Salukis basketball – Murray State Racers basketball – 81:91

Facts

In the last 5 head-to-head matches, Northern Iowa won 3.

Northern Iowa is showing really good form (last 5 games: 4 wins).

Southern Illinois‘s form has been unstable in recent games (in the last 5 games, wins – 3).

In this match, Northern Iowa is a strong favorite.

In the last 20 head-to-head matches, Northern Iowa won 11 matches, drew 0 matches, lost 9 matches, and goals 1233:1244. (average 61.7:62.2).

Including home matches between the teams, Northern Iowa won 6 matches, drew 0 matches, lost 2 matches, and goals 478:432. (average 59.8:54).

Latest Head To Head

28.01.26 Southern Illinois Salukis basketball – Northern Iowa Panthers basketball – 65:50
18.01.25 Southern Illinois Salukis basketball – Northern Iowa Panthers basketball – 73:49
29.12.24 Northern Iowa Panthers basketball – Southern Illinois Salukis basketball – 78:67
03.03.24 Southern Illinois Salukis basketball – Northern Iowa Panthers basketball – 70:82
20.01.24 Northern Iowa Panthers basketball – Southern Illinois Salukis basketball – 61:57

Standings

NCAA College Basketball Outrights

1. Michigan Wolverines: 4.25 (17.74%)

2. Arizona Wildcats: 6 (12.57%)

3. Duke Blue Devils: 7.5 (10.05%)

4. Houston Cougars: 8 (9.42%)

5. Iowa State: 13 (5.8%)

6. Florida Gators: 14 (5.39%)

7. Illinois Fighting Illini: 14 (5.39%)

8. Connecticut Huskies: 17 (4.44%)

9. Kansas Jayhawks: 21 (3.59%)

10. Purdue Boilermakers: 26 (2.9%)

11. Gonzaga Bulldogs: 41 (1.84%)

12. Michigan State: 51 (1.48%)

13. Arkansas Razorbacks: 51 (1.48%)

14. Tennessee Volunteers: 67 (1.13%)

15. Nebraska Cornhuskers: 67 (1.13%)

16. Louisville: 67 (1.13%)

17. Vanderbilt Commodores: 67 (1.13%)

18. Alabama Crimson Tide: 67 (1.13%)

19. St. Johns Red Storm: 67 (1.13%)

20. Virginia Cavaliers: 81 (0.93%)

21. North Carolina: 101 (0.75%)

22. Wisconsin Badgers: 126 (0.6%)

23. Clemson: 126 (0.6%)

24. Brigham Young: 126 (0.6%)

25. Kentucky Wildcats: 126 (0.6%)

26. Iowa Hawkeyes: 151 (0.5%)

27. St. Louis Billikens: 151 (0.5%)

28. NC State: 151 (0.5%)

29. Texas Tech: 201 (0.38%)

30. UCF Knights: 201 (0.38%)

31. Texas A&M: 201 (0.38%)

32. Villanova Wildcats: 251 (0.3%)

33. Indiana Hoosiers: 251 (0.3%)

34. SMU Mustangs: 251 (0.3%)

35. Auburn Tigers: 251 (0.3%)

36. Miami (FL): 251 (0.3%)

37. Texas Longhorns: 251 (0.3%)

38. UCLA: 251 (0.3%)

39. Ohio State Buckeyes: 351 (0.21%)

40. Georgia Bulldogs: 351 (0.21%)

41. USC Trojans: 351 (0.21%)

42. Virginia Tech: 501 (0.15%)

43. Baylor Bears: 501 (0.15%)

44. Seton Hall Pirates: 501 (0.15%)

45. New Mexico: 501 (0.15%)

46. San Diego State: 501 (0.15%)

47. Oklahoma State: 501 (0.15%)

48. Missouri Tigers: 751 (0.1%)

49. Santa Clara: 751 (0.1%)

50. Miami (Ohio): 751 (0.1%)

51. California Golden Bears: 1001 (0.08%)

52. TCU: 1001 (0.08%)

53. West Virginia: 1001 (0.08%)

54. Syracuse Orange: 1001 (0.08%)

55. Creighton: 1001 (0.08%)

56. Oklahoma Sooners: 1001 (0.08%)

57. Stanford Cardinal: 1001 (0.08%)

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