Halftime Report
Only one more half stands between DePaul and the win they were favored to collect coming into this afternoon. They have a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Valparaiso 42-29.
DePaul entered the matchup having won six straight and they’re just one half away from another. Will they make it seven, or will Valparaiso step up and spoil it? We’ll know soon.
Who’s Playing
Valparaiso Beacons @ DePaul Blue Demons
Current Records: Valparaiso 4-2, DePaul 6-0
How To Watch
- When: Friday, November 29, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Wintrust Arena — Chicago, Illinois
- TV: Fox Sports 1
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket Cost: $2.00
What to Know
Valparaiso has enjoyed a five-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will venture away from home to challenge the DePaul Blue Demons at 1:30 p.m. ET on Friday at Wintrust Arena. The Beacons have been getting the ball to fall more lately as they’ve increased their point totals each of their last three games.
Valparaiso’s offense and defense might be a bit winded after their high-scoring matchup with N. Illinois on Wednesday. Valparaiso came out on top against N. Illinois by a score of 87-82.
Valparaiso’s win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Cooper Schwieger, who had 17 points along with seven rebounds and two blocks. Schwieger had some trouble finding his footing against Eastern Illinois on Sunday, so this was a nice turnaround. The team also got some help courtesy of Tyler Schmidt, who went 5 for 9 en route to 17 points.
Meanwhile, DePaul came tearing into Saturday’s game with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 20.2 points) and they left with even more momentum. They claimed a resounding 98-52 victory over the Huskies. The Blue Demons’ offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they’ve scored all season.
Layden Blocker was the offensive standout of the match as he went 8 for 13 en route to 21 points plus eight rebounds. His performance made up for a slower matchup against Duquesne two weeks ago. Another player making a difference was Conor Enright, who went 5 for 6 en route to 13 points plus seven rebounds.
DePaul was working as a unit and finished the game with 22 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as N. Illinois only posted 12.
Valparaiso’s win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 4-2. As for DePaul, their victory bumped their record up to 6-0.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as the two teams are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. Valparaiso hasn’t had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 81 points per game. However, it’s not like DePaul struggles in that department as they’ve been averaging 87.8. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
Valparaiso is hoping to beat the odds on Friday, as the experts think they’re headed for a loss. This will be their first time playing on the road this season.
Odds
DePaul is a big 13.5-point favorite against Valparaiso, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Blue Demons as a 14-point favorite.
The over/under is 149.5 points.
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Series History
DePaul won the only game these two teams have played in the last 3 years.
- Jan 16, 2021 – DePaul 77 vs. Valparaiso 58
