Western Illinois vs. Butler Game Preview

How to watch, listen, or stream

Time: 7 p.m. ET

TV: FSN

Radio: 1070 The Fan

Streaming: FOX Sports Go

My advice to the Butler Bulldogs? Enjoy Thursday night’s game against Western Illinois. After that, all hell breaks loose.

Butler hosts the Leathernecks in its final non-conference game. Then, after a short break for Christmas, Butler embarks on a five-game stretch that consists of road games against Georgetown, Xavier, and Creighton, and home games against Villanova and Seton Hall.

While Western Illinois is presumably the last freebie (knock on wood – Wofford just beat North Carolina) on Butler’s schedule, Thursday’s game can’t be all fun and games. Butler is looking to put forth a consistent effort after spotty performances on both ends of the floor throughout the season.

Butler hung 48 points in the second half in a loss to Purdue. The Bulldogs also held Texas to 22 points in the first half before eventually falling to the Longhorns. Butler has shown that it can erupt offensively and suffocate defensively – but to win in the Big East, the Dawgs will have to do one or both of those things for all 40 minutes.

Western Illinois offers Butler one last opportunity to tidy up its inconsistencies before the Bulldogs come up against more formidable rivals.