How and what to watch for Valparaiso vs. No. 22 Loyola Chicago

In one of five Top-25 games on Wednesday, Valparaiso will play the No. 22-ranked Loyola Chicago Ramblers at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN+. These two teams first played on Jan. 20, where the Ramblers won in a blowout 75-39 over Valpo.

Loyola Chicago (18-4, 13-2 MVC) had their 11-game winning streak snapped by the Drake Bulldogs on Sunday. The Bulldogs beat the Ramblers 51-50 in overtime after Loyola won 81-54 the previous day. Loyola has been one of the best teams in the Missouri Valley Conference this season. They’re averaging 73.2 points per game, while holding opponents to 55.9 points per game. Rambers center Cameron Krutwig is a player to watch as he is producing a team-high 15 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.0 rebounds per game.

Valpo (8-14, 5-8 MVC) are coming off a 74-60 loss to the Northern Iowa Panthers on Sunday. Valpo defeated UNI the previous day by 13 points (70-57). They have lost three of their last five games. In Sunday’s contest, Ben Krikke had a team-high 12 points and five rebounds in 28 minutes. Valpo ultimately had three players reach double-figures. They also shot 44 percent from the field and only 20 percent from three-point range.

Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming

You can watch Valparaiso vs. Loyola on Wednesday, February 17th at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN+, a subscription service available as an add-on from ESPN even for non-subscribers.

Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends

Point spread: Loyola -20.5
Point Total: 128.5
Money line: Valparaiso +1600, Loyola -10000

DraftKings Sportsbook Betting Splits at 4:30 p.m.

Valparaiso: 67% of handle, 56% of bets
Loyola Chicago: 33% of handle, 44% of bets

• The Ramblers have been a good bet this season with a record of 11-4-1 against the spread in their last 16 games. However, the point total has gone under in nine of Loyola Chicago’s last 12 games.
• As for the Brown and Gold, they have a record of 4-7-1 against the spread on the road this season. The point total has gone under in six of Valpo’s last seven games.

The Best Bet

The last time the Ramblers were close to 20-point favorites, they defeated Evansville in back-to-back games but did not cover in either game (-18.5). Meanwhile, when the Brown and Gold were double-digit underdogs, they surprisingly covered in both games against the Drake Bulldogs, who are the second-best team in the MVC. I still think the Ramblers when this game comfortably, but Valpo gets the cover.

Pick: Valpo +20.5

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