The Incarnate Word Cardinals and Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles will meet on Thursday in Daytona Beach as part of the Boardwalk Battle. Both teams are looking for their first wins against Division I opponents this season and one of them will get that win with a strong performance in this game. Before tip-off from this neutral-site game, continue reading to get my Southern Indiana vs Incarnate Word prediction.
Our Southern Indiana vs Incarnate Word Pick
- Pick: Southern Indiana +7.5
- Confidence: ★★☆☆☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles vs Incarnate Word Cardinals
- Date & Time: November 20, 2025, 12:30 PM ET
- Venue: Ocean Center, Daytona Beach, Florida
- Broadcast: BallerTV
Key Storylines
- Incarnate Word’s scoring strength: The Cardinals arrive at 2–2 after a competitive 69–61 road loss at Indiana in their last game. Their top trio of Davion Bailey, Tahj Staveskie, and Harrison Reede has driven the offense just over 54 points per game as a group. Their balanced perimeter attack makes them difficult to contain.
- Southern Indiana’s rough start: The Eagles sit at 1–3 after an 89–74 defeat at South Dakota. Senior guard Ismail Habib posted 19 points in that game, but overall efficiency remains inconsistent.
- Division I growing pains: USI continues adjusting to Division I after last season’s 10–20 record during its third transition year. They have yet to beat a Division I opponent so far this season and will try to change that in this game. But Incarnate Word hasn't beaten a Division I opponent yet either.
- Neutral-site factor: While Southern Indiana is listed as the visiting team, both sides enter this neutral-floor matchup without expecting any meaningful support from the crowd on either side of this game.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
- This is the first recorded meeting between these two programs in college basketball.
- Incarnate Word is 1-1 against the spread going into this game.
- Southern Indiana is 0-3 against the spread so far this season.
- The over/under is 1-1 in Incarnate Word's opening games of this season.
- All three of Southern Indiana's games this season have gone under their respective totals.
Southern Indiana vs Incarnate Word Model Projection
Score Projection: Incarnate Word 78 – Southern Indiana 73
Win Probability: Incarnate Word 75%, Southern Indiana 25%
Final Thoughts
Incarnate Word’s backcourt advantage, scoring balance, and recent performance level give them a clear upper hand entering this neutral-site game against Southern Indiana. But I think that the Screaming Eagles will do just enough to cover the spread here. The early start time and neutral site aren't likely to make things easy on the favorite here, even if UIW should come away with the win when all is said and done.
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