Just three days after a big comeback win, the Illinois basketball team looks to make it four victories in a row as we take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
While on paper this might look like an easy game for the Illini, Minnesota seems to have a lot of fight in them. Sitting at 7-8 overall, the Golden Gophers are coming off a big road win at Ohio State.
Our record this year betting Illinois is 3-4 moneyline, 2-5 spread, and 4-4 over/under. After going 2-1 in the last game, let’s see if we can keep the momentum going.
Here are the Illinois basketball betting odds, predictions, and game info against Minnesota.
Odds
Illinois basketball vs. Minnesota – Moneyline
Illinois is the clear favorite against the Golden Gophers on Monday. The moneyline currently sits at the Illini -450 and Minnesota at +340.
Advice
Minnesota is coming off a big win over Ohio State on the road. They were able to take down the Buckeyes with their size.
6-foot-11 forward, Dawson Garcia, finished that game with a team-high 28 points, and he also peppered in nine rebounds. As a team, Minnesota would end up shooting 50% from the field as well.
Illinois has the length to stop Garcia. We can throw Coleman Hawkins at him or even Matthew Mayer, who has stepped up his defensive prowess lately.
I also believe Illinois’ defense is much better than what the Buckeyes put out on the floor. The Golden Gophers shooting 50% from the field is an outlier. Coming into that game, they were only shooting 43.2% for the season, which ranks No. 209 in the country.
The Illini defense should come out and shut down Minnesota’s offense. I believe this will be a solid victory for the Orange and Blue.
Prediction – Illinois -450
Illinois basketball vs. Minnesota – Spread
I think this is one of the largest spreads Illinois has had this season, as they enter the matchup against Minnesota as 9.5-point favorites.
Advice
It doesn’t matter who is playing who, if you are on the road in the Big Ten, it is hard to give your opponent 9.5 points.
As mentioned above, Minnesota struggles at shooting the ball. After the win over Ohio State, the Golden Gophers are now shooting 43.6% from the field for the season.
On the other hand, Illinois has one of the best shooting defenses in the country. We are only allowing opponents to shoot 39.4% from the field, which ranks No. 19 in the nation.
I think the glass is going to be where one of these two teams makes their money on Monday afternoon. Minnesota is not a great rebounding program, averaging just 34.8 rebounds per game, which ranks No. 163 in the nation. Illinois is pulling down 39.1 rebounds per game, which ranks No. 27 in the nation.
Illinois has a chance to dominate the glass and hold Minnesota to a low shooting percentage. I think we end up doing both and covering the 9.5 points.
Prediction – Illinois -9.5
Illinois basketball vs. Minnesota – Over/Under
Only one point higher than the Michigan State contest, the Illinois vs Minnesota over/under currently stands at 137.5 points.
Advice
There are multiple factors I look at when betting the over/under in Illinois games. The first factor is possessions per game.
Minnesota is a slow-playing team. They only average 68.4 possessions per game, which ranks No. 275 out of 363 teams.
I mentioned this above, but the Golden Gophers struggle from the field. They are only shooting 43.6% this season, which ranks No. 191 in the nation.
Minnesota’s three-point shooting isn’t much better. They are knocking down their shots from deep at a clip of 33.3%, which ranks No. 189 in the country.
Illinois is going to up against a below-average shooting team that slows the game down. Mix that in with a good Illini defense, and you should get under 137.5 points. I see this game finish with a score of 72-53.
Prediction – Under 137.5 points
Illinois basketball vs. Minnesota – Game Info
Date & Time: January 16 – 5:00 p.m. CT
TV: Big Ten Network
Streaming: Fubo TV