How to watch Western Michigan vs. Valparaiso basketball game
Halftime Report
After a tough loss on the road their last time out, Western Michigan looks much better today on their home court. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Valparaiso 42-26.
Western Michigan entered the matchup with three straight defeats and they’re well on their way to making it four. Can they turn things around, or will Valparaiso hand them another loss? Only time will tell.
Who’s Playing
Valparaiso Beacons @ Western Michigan Broncos
Current Records: Valparaiso 5-5, Western Michigan 3-7
How To Watch
When: Friday, December 20, 2024 at 1 p.m. ETWhere: University Arena — Kalamazoo, MichiganTV: ESPN PlusFollow: CBS Sports AppOnline Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)Ticket Cost: $23.80
What to Know
The Valparaiso Beacons are taking a road trip to face off against the Western Michigan Broncos at 1:00 p.m. ET on Friday at University Arena. The Beacons are no doubt hoping to put an end to a nine-game streak of away losses dating back to last season.
The experts figured Valparaiso would be stumbling into the matchup after a tough loss to Ohio State, and, well: they nailed that call. Valparaiso suffered a bruising 95-73 loss at the hands of Ohio State on Tuesday.
Despite the defeat, Valparaiso had strong showings from Cooper Schwieger, who went 5 for 9 en route to 16 points plus eight rebounds, and All Wright, who went 8 for 15 en route to 22 points. What’s more, Schwieger also posted a 66.7% three-point shooting accuracy, which is the highest he’s posted since back in February.
Valparaiso struggled to work together and finished the game with only five assists. That’s the fewest assists they’ve posted since back in November of 2023.
Meanwhile, Western Michigan’s recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Sunday after their third straight loss. They were dealt a punishing 98-62 defeat at the hands of N. Dak. State. The Broncos were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 49-28.
Valparaiso’s loss dropped their record down to 5-5. As for Western Michigan, their defeat dropped their record down to 3-7.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Valparaiso hasn’t given up the ball easily this season, having only averaged 10 turnovers per game. However, it’s not like Western Michigan struggles in that department as they’ve been averaging only 9.9. Given these competing strengths, it’ll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Valparaiso strolled past Western Michigan when the teams last played back in November of 2022 by a score of 81-65. The rematch might be a little tougher for Valparaiso since the squad won’t have the home-court advantage this time around. We’ll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Odds
Western Michigan is a slight 1.5-point favorite against Valparaiso, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 1.5-point spread, and stayed right there.
The over/under is 151.5 points.
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Series History
Valparaiso has won both of the games they’ve played against Western Michigan in the last 3 years.
Nov 13, 2022 – Valparaiso 81 vs. Western Michigan 65Dec 05, 2021 – Valparaiso 71 vs. Western Michigan 60
