The Saint Louis Billikens take on the Loyola Chicago Ramblers in Chicago, Illinois. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Saint Louis is favored by 19.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -3000. The total is set at 154 points.
Here’s my Saint Louis vs. Loyola Chicago prediction and college basketball picks for February 13, 2026.
Saint Louis vs Loyola Chicago Prediction
My Pick: Saint Louis -19.5
My Saint Louis vs Loyola Chicago best bet is on the Billikens to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Saint Louis vs. Loyola Chicago Odds
| Saint Louis Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-19.5 -110 | 154 -110 / -110 | -3000 |
| Loyola (IL) Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+19.5 -110 | 154 -110 / -110 | +1400 |
- Saint Louis vs Loyola Chicago spread: Saint Louis -19.5
- Saint Louis vs Loyola Chicago over/under: 154 points
- Saint Louis vs Loyola Chicago moneyline: Saint Louis -3000, Loyola Chicago +1400
Saint Louis vs Loyola Chicago College Basketball Betting Preview
Saint Louis Basketball
The 19th-ranked Billikens have been one of the biggest surprises of the season, posting a 22-1 overall record thus far.
Josh Schertz is in his second season at the helm, taking over for Travis Ford prior to the 2024-25 season.
Saint Louis had a very up-and-down first season under Schertz, finishing the year with a 19-15 overall record. In his second season, Schertz’s Billikens have taken the sport by storm, with their lone loss coming in late November to Stanford.
The Billikens are on a 17-game winning streak — the third-longest nationally and have won their first 11 games in Atlantic 10 play.
Leading the charge for an extremely well-balanced Billikens offense is Robbie Avila. The 6-foot-10 senior made waves two seasons ago for his spectacles, which — along with his tremendous play for the Sycamores — made him one of the most popular athletes in the sport.
In his second season under head coach Schertz, Avila has been very efficient on both ends of the floor, scoring 13 points per game, along with four rebounds and four assists.
While his offensive production has taken a slight step back, Avilia has converted on over 51% of his field goal attempts and is shooting 43% from beyond the arc.
Avila has taken less of a primary scoring role this season, with each player in the Billikens' starting five averaging double figures in scoring. Saint Louis also has a very deep bench, with the next three players in Schertz’s rotation all averaging over nine points per game, as well.
The Billikens' offense operates under the play of its point guard, Trey Green. He's scoring 12 points per game this season and runs point for an offense that ranks inside the top 30 in the country in offensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
The Saint Louis backcourt also features 6-foot-3 shooting guard Dion Brown. The former Boston College talent is converting on 61.5% of his field goal attempts — an outrageous shooting clip for a guard.
Loyola Chicago Basketball
Loyola Chicago burst onto the scene in 2018 after a spectacular Final Four run under now-Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser. Under the spiritual guidance of fan-favorite Sister Jean, the Ramblers went on to make another Sweet 16 just two seasons later, prior to Moser’s departure to Norman in 2021.
While the post-Moser era got off to a great start — with first-year head coach Drew Valentine making the Big Dance in 2022 — Loyola was unable to replicate that success over the next three seasons.
In his now fourth year at the helm, Valentine is most definitely on the hot seat as Loyola enters this contest with an abysmal 6-19 overall record. Valentine’s bunch has won just two of its first 12 matchups thus far in Atlantic 10 play.
Justin Moore leads Loyola in scoring, posting over 11 points per game. The former Drexel star runs the Ramblers' offense, one that's scoring a dreadful 67 points per contest this season.
Loyola’s frontcourt production has been solid, with its two starting forwards both averaging double figures in scoring. Xavier Amos is scoring 10.5 points per game this season, but he's missed 14 of the Ramblers’ 25 games this season.
Alongside Amos in Valentine’s frontcourt, Miles Rubin is having a spectacular season on both ends of the floor. Rubin is in his third season at Loyola and is the heart and soul of this Ramblers squad.
On top of his 11-point, seven-rebound offensive production, Rubin has excelled as a rim protector on the defensive end, making it very difficult for opposing forwards to find clean looks inside the lane and under the basket.
For a Loyola team with one of the worst offenses in all of college basketball, it's relied heavily on its defensive efforts to keep it in games this season. The Ramblers rank inside the top 100 in the country in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom, but they remain outside the top 250 in offensive efficiency.
Saint Louis vs. Loyola Chicago Betting Analysis
There's nothing you can say to support backing this Loyola Chicago team right now. This is a matchup featuring two foes headed in completely opposite directions this season.
Schertz’s squad is having its best season in program history, and I definitely won't be standing in the way of this Saint Louis freight train.
I'll be looking to back the Billikens to cover the spread.
My Pick: Saint Louis -19.5
