Illinois basketball looks to finish the season strong starting with a win over Michigan on Thursday night.
It was a rough game just days ago, as the Illini couldn’t manage to take care of business against Ohio State. The Buckeyes would hand Illinois a loss, which was our third defeat in the last five contests.
Our record this year betting Illinois is 10-9 moneyline, 9-10 spread, and 13-7 over/under. We were able to hit the under 145 points against Ohio State, but Illinois let us down in the other two departments. Let’s see if we can get a winning record this week.
Here are the Illinois basketball betting odds, predictions, and game info against the Michigan Wolverines.
Odds
Illinois basketball vs. Michigan – Moneyline
Illinois is opening as the favorite in this contest. The Illini are -175 on the moneyline, and the Wolverines are currently +150.
Advice
The Illini have a weird team this season. There are times when we look like a national title contender, and then there are times we look like a bubble NIT program.
Even with the ups and downs, Illinois is a much better team at home. We have a 7-2 record in Champaign but have won five straight at home.
Illinois is running into a Michigan team that has won three straight games and six out of eight, but they aren’t a good road team by any means.
The Wolverines have only played eight road games this season and currently have a 3-5 record. The one caveat here is the fact that Michigan is 2-1 in the last three away games.
Even though I think this will be a close contest, it is extremely difficult to win on the road in the Big Ten. I have Illinois taking this game in a tight finish.
Prediction – Illinois -175
Illinois basketball vs. Michigan – Spread
Illinois was a 4.5-point favorite in the last game and lost. Against Michigan, the Illini are 4.0-point favorites.
Advice
I believe the biggest weakness Illinois has as a team is three-point defense. We struggle against teams who can hit shots from long range.
Michigan is an average team when it comes to shooting the three-point shot. They are hitting their shots from beyond the arc at a clip of 34.5%, which ranks No. 162 in the country.
Even though Illinois held Ohio State to just 21.4% from three-point range, we still lost that game. One of the reasons for the loss was rebounding. The Buckeyes pulled down 12 more rebounds than Illinois.
For the season, the Illini have been a good rebounding team. We average 38.2 rebounds per game, which ranks No. 20 in the nation. Michigan can also crash the glass, as they average 36.2 rebounds per contest. This ranks No. 79 in the country.
I worry a little bit about Illinois’ inside presence as well. We haven’t been strong in the paint lately. With Hunter Dickinson in the middle, he provides a lot of stress on the Illini defense.
I think Illinois wins this game, but I think it comes down to the last second. This one will be extremely close.
Prediction – Michigan +4.0
Illinois basketball vs. Michigan – Over/Under
The game against Ohio State went under 145 points. In this game against Michigan, Las Vegas set the line at over/under 144 points.
Advice
Michigan is a middle-of-the-pack team when it comes to pace-of-play. They average 70 possessions per game, which ranks No. 185 in the nation.
Illinois is right there with the Wolverines as well. The Illini average 71.4 possessions per game this season, which ranks No. 118 in the country.
Both teams have decent defenses, though. Illinois and Michigan are both inside the top 125 in points allowed per game and opponent shooting percentage.
My first instincts were to take the over in this game. I thought both teams could score easily, but as I look at the numbers, I am changing my mind.
Illinois and Michigan are both average shooting teams as well. They both shoot 45.1% which ranks No. 124 in the country.
I think I am going to go with the under in this game. I could see both teams struggling to put the ball in the hoop.
Prediction – Under 144 points
Illinois basketball vs. Michigan – Game Info
Date & Time: March 2 – 6:00 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN
Streaming: Fubo TV