Illinois and Nebraska are two teams doing their best to catch the top dogs in the Big Ten, sitting at third and fourth respectively. No. 14 Illinois especially has a chance to catch No. 6 Wisconsin with a home win in tonight's pivotal conference showdown.
Nebraska is coming off one of its biggest wins of the season, downing Wisconsin by a final score of 80-72 in overtime.
Can Illinois get the job done tonight? Let's dive into everything you need to know to bet on the game.
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Nebraska vs. Illinois odds, spread, and total
Nebraska vs. Illinois betting trends
- The OVER is 9-2 in Nebraska's last 11 games
- Illinois is 7-0 straight up in its last seven games vs. Nebraska
- Nebraska is 1-5 ATS in its last six road games
- Illinois is 13-3-1 ATS in its last 17 games
- The OVER is 5-1 in Illinois' last six games
- The UNDER is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings between these two teams
Nebraska vs. Illinois how to watch
- Date: Sunday, February 4
- Game Time: 6:30 PM EST
- Venue: State Farm Center
- How to Watch (TV): BTM
- Nebraska Record: 16-6 (6-5 in Big Ten)
- Illinois Record: 16-5 (7-3 in Big Ten)
Nebraska vs. Illinois key players to watch
Nebraska
Keisei Tominaga: Keep an eye on Nebraska's guard. If he gets hot from three, the Nebraska offense is tough to stop. As Cornhuskers' primary three-point shooter, he has shooting 35.9% from three for the season.
Illinois
Coleman Hawkins: The Illinois' forward can be a game-disrupter, averaging 1.8 steals per contest while adding on 6.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 11.6 points per game. He may not be the best shooter on the team, but he can do it all which gives the Fighting Illini a great weapon to use anywhere.
Nebraska vs. Illinois prediction and pick
Illinois is one of the most dominant defenses in the entire country and few teams have had success against the Fighting Illini when playing at the State Farm Center. Illinois has an opponent effective field goal percentage of just 42% when playing at home, which is the ninth best home mark in the country.
Nebraska may also have trouble scoring from three-point land in this game. The Cornhuskers rank 29th in three point shot rate but Illinois is allowing teams to hit their threes at a rate of just 27.7% on their home court.
I'm not afraid the lay double-digits on Illinois to get the job done tonight.
Pick: Illinois -10
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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