This is an 8* on LOYOLA CHICAGO

Two teams stand above the rest this year in the Missouri Valley. They are #25 Drake and Loyola Chicago. Though the former is ranked and undefeated, our view (and the view of most in the College Basketball community) is that Loyola is better. The Ramblers can prove that NEXT weekend when they’ll play two at Drake, but for now they get a pair of games vs. Evansville. This should be a guaranteed two wins this weekend for the Ramblers. It’s a big number Saturday, but we’ll lay it considering that Loyola is 12-3 ATS in all games this season, including 12-1 when favored and 6-0 at home. Last weekend, they won by 26 and 20 at Missouri State. They’re winning their home games by a margin of 28.5 points/game. None of their previous eight opponents have reached 60 points as this is one of the premier defensive teams in the country. That’s bad news for an Evansville squad averaging only 64 points on the road this season. The Purple Aces have just one road win and aren’t going to be competitive here. Play on LOYOLA CHICAGO

AAA