It seems like it has been months, but the Illinois basketball team is finally back in action against Rutgers on Saturday.
The last time we saw the Illini men on the court was a week ago in a heartbreaking loss on the road against Iowa. With a week’s rest and planning, Illinois now has a chance to take down the No. 24 ranked Scarlet Knights.
Our record this year betting Illinois is 7-6 moneyline, 6-7 spread, and 9-5 over/under. Over the past three games, we are 8-1 betting Illinois. Hopefully, we can continue this hot streak.
Here are the Illinois basketball betting odds, predictions, and game info against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
Odds
Illinois basketball vs. Rutgers – Moneyline
Illinois is the solid favorite in the game on Saturday. The Illini are opening the moneyline at -205 while Rutgers is getting +175.
Advice
Illinois being a decent favorite against a top-25 program like Rutgers shows you how tough it is to win on the road in the Big Ten. For Rutgers, road games haven’t been the nicest to them.
The Scarlet Knights are having one of their best seasons in program history. They are 16-8 overall and 8-5 in the Big Ten. Out of the 24 games they have played this season, Rutgers has been on the road for just seven contests.
So far this season, Rutgers is just 2-5 on the road and is currently on a three-game road losing streak.
Illinois, on the other hand, has been pretty solid at home this season. We are 6-1 in our last seven home games, and the only loss came to Indiana when Matthew Mayer was sick.
Overall, Rutgers hasn’t been playing their best basketball as of late. While they started hot, the Scarlet Knights are only 3-3 in their last six games. Illinois has won seven out of their past nine games.
One final thing to note, Rutgers lost a solid role player two games ago against Michigan State. Mawot Mag tore his ACL and is out for the season. He was averaging 7.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.
With Rutgers’ recent struggles and an important piece missing, I think you can take Illinois and the moneyline.
Prediction – Illinois -205
Illinois basketball vs. Rutgers – Spread
The Illini are favored to win straight up, and Las Vegas has the Orange and Blue as five-point favorites against Rutgers on Saturday.
Advice
I documented Rutgers’ struggles on the road in the moneyline section, but let’s dive a little deeper into those struggles.
For the season, Rutgers is averaging 70.5 points per game, which ranks No. 180 in the country. But, when they hit the road, that average drops down to 65.1 points per game.
One of the major strengths of the Illinois basketball team is defense. We are only allowing opponents to shoot 40% from the field and 32.4% from three-point range. Rutgers struggles in both of these categories, as they are only shooting 43.7% from the field and 32.2% from three-point range, which ranks No. 208 and No. 269 in the nation, respectively.
I believe Illinois is going to be able to shut down Rutgers, but the Scarlet Knights have a good defense as well.
Rutgers is giving up just 58.7 points per game this season, which ranks No. 6 in the country. Their great defense holds opponents to 37.8% from the field and 29.3% from three-point range, both of which are top 15 in the country.
Illinois’ defense is good and Rutgers doesn’t have a good offense. There are no worries there. The real question is; can Illinois score against the Scarlet Knights?
The Illini have played against four top-20 scoring defenses this season. We are 1-3 in those contests, and we average 66.5 points per game. I think this is going to be an offensive struggle for both teams, but I believe Illinois is going to win this game by more than five points.
Prediction – Illinois -5
Illinois basketball vs. Rutgers – Over/Under
In the last game against Iowa, the over/under was 152.5 points, and the over hit. This week, the Illini over/under against Rutgers is 19 points lower at 133.5.
Advice
I just talked about Illinois having a great defense and Rutgers struggling from the field. This is a combination for a low score out of the Scarlet Knights.
Illinois doesn’t do well against good defenses either. We are only averaging 66.5 points per game this season against top 20 scoring defenses. Rutgers is No. 6 in the country in scoring defense. That should mean Illinois won’t put up a lot of points.
On top of both teams having a really good defense and suspect offenses, Rutgers plays a slower brand of basketball. They are only averaging 69.2 possessions per game this season, which ranks No. 222 in the country.
Illinois has a little faster pace of play at 71.8 possessions per game, which ranks No. 95 in the nation.
Honestly, I could see this game being a massive struggle on the offensive end of the court for both teams. I think Illinois is going to come away with the win on Saturday by over five points, but this is going to be a low-scoring game. I could see it finishing something like 62-50 in favor of the good guys.
Prediction – Under 133.5 points
Illinois basketball vs. Rutgers – Game Info
Date & Time: February 11 – 1:00 p.m. CT
TV: FS1
Streaming: Fubo TV