the The Big Ten Conference is loaded with some great college basketball teams, and a pair of in-state rivals will meet up on Wednesday night. The Illinois Fighting Illini will travel north to take on the Northwestern Wildcats in what should be a terrific battle.
Illinois vs Northwestern Picks
- Pick 1: Illinois Fighting Illini -3.5
- Pick 2: Over 146.5
Illinois won the first meeting of the year between the rivals, and Northwestern will be seeking revenge in this game. Here is a look at some of the top Illinois vs Northwestern best bets to make on Wednesday night.
Illinois Fighting Illini vs Northwestern Wildcats Odds
Before giving the Illinois vs Northwestern best bets is important to keep an eye on the latest College Basketball odds:
Illinois Fighting Illini vs Northwestern Wildcats Information
Illinois Fighting Illini vs Northwestern Wildcats
Location of the game: Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, IL
Date & Time: Wednesday, January 24, 9:00 PM ET
How to Watch: Big Ten Network
Recent Scores for Last Game
When trying to identify the Illinois vs Northwestern best bets to make on Wednesday night, it is helpful to see how each team has been playing of late. Illinois has proven that it is one of the top NCAA basketball teams, and they have won two straight games to improve to 14-4 on the year.
The NCAAB schedule in the Big Ten Conference has been challenging for Northwestern, and they are now sitting at 13-5 on the year. Northwestern suffered a loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers in their most recent game.
Illinois Fighting Illini vs Northwestern Wildcats Analysis
There is going to be a good opportunity to make college basketball picks for this game, and the location is going to impact how this game plays out. The college basketball injury report is clean for each team, and that should lead to an even better battle on the floor.
Illinois is a top-10 team this season, and they have been in that position for the last few weeks. The Fighting Illini are scoring over 82 points per game this season, and they are also allowing just 67 points per game.
Terrence Shannon Jr. is now back from suspension for Illinois, and he remains one of the best players in the country. Illinois is a very physical team that has been able to dominate opponents in the paint.
Northwestern will be trying to slow things down in this game as they just don’t have the athleticism to keep pace. The Wildcats are scoring just 72.7 points this year, while holding teams to 67 points per game.
Boo Buie is leading the way for Northwestern with 17.9 points per game, but he is going to need some help in this matchup.
Odds Breakdown
Checking out the NCAAB odds will also give you some of the top bets to identify, and there are some interesting options in this game. Here is a look at the odds at BetUS for this big matchup in the conference.
Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois is near the top of the college basketball standings in the Big Ten Conference, and they are 3.5-point favorites on the road in this game. The moneyline odds for Illinois are set at -155, and that’s an option as well.
Northwestern Wildcats
There is value in betting on the Wildcats on the moneyline in this game as those odds are set at +135. Northwestern has some terrific college basketball players, but they are 3.5-point underdogs at home.
Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Northwestern Wildcats Betting Pick and Prediction
After breaking down each team in this game, there are a couple of Illinois vs Northwestern best bets to make. This has the potential to be one of the top NCAA basketball games today, but eventually it will be the visitors that start to pull away.
Illinois has some of the best odds to win March Madness this season, and they have proven that they can win on the road in this league. Northwestern had a tough time stopping Illinois in the first meeting, and that will be the case in this matchup as well.
This is also going to be a game in which the winning team gets into the 80s, and that is going to push the point total to more than 146.5. Northwestern will be fighting hard to keep this game close, but Illinois covers the spread and the over is also going to hit.
- Pick 1: Illinois Fighting Illini -3.5
- Pick 2: Over 146.5
Discover the latest stats and trends of this matchup here.
Illinois vs Northwestern matchup
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