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The Wisconsin Badgers are set to face the Illinois Fighting Illini. Check out our college basketball odds series, which includes our Wisconsin Illinois prediction, odds, and pick.
Wisconsin struggled early in the season, and many people wondered why that was. Wisconsin got tripped up by Providence and fell behind Texas A&M and Indiana by big early-game margins before rallying to win. The Badgers were also hammered by Ohio State in a blowout. What was holding this team back? College basketball odds experts wanted to know.
The answer eventually became very clear: Johnny Davis missed a number of games for the Badgers in the early part of the season. When he came back from his injury, he lit up the scoreboard. Wisconsin looked like a dramatically different team. The Badgers had a much higher ceiling than anyone previously thought. The true relevation here is that Davis is a candidate for the Naismith Award, given to the national player of the year in college basketball. If Wisconsin wins the Big Ten title or gets a very high NCAA Tournament seed, Davis will have a great chance. The Badgers, thanks to Davis, have won at Purdue and avenged their Ohio State loss, among other notable results. At 8-2 in league play, they are very much in the Big Ten title hunt. Keep that in mind when thinking about your Wisconsin Illinois prediction.
Illinois doesn't have Ayo Dosunmu, who is having a solid rookie season in the NBA with the Chicago Bulls. Yet, the Illini still have important pieces from the 2021 roster which earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Big man Kofi Cockburn is still a massive load for opponents to handle inside. Andre Curbelo, when not turning the ball over, is a difference-making point guard for this team. Illinois has added transfer Alfonso Plummer from Utah for instant offense, and Trent Frazier is another reliable member of the starting five. Head coach Brad Underwood has considerable talent on his roster, and the Illini have been able to show that talent in the Big Ten. Illinois is tied with Wisconsin at 8-2 in the league, making this a very big game in Champaign.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Wisconsin-Illinois odds:
College Basketball odds: Wisconsin-Illinois Odds
Wisconsin: +7.5 (-120)
Illinois: -7.5 (-102)
Over: 136.5 (-114)
Under: 136.5 (-106)
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Why Wisconsin Could Cover the Spread
The spread is really large. Illinois might win the game, but this is a lot of points to give to a Wisconsin side which has lost only three times. The Badgers, as long as they have Johnny Davis on the floor, can compete with any team in the country. The win at Purdue should have established that much.
Why Illinois Could Cover the Spread
The Illini, with Kofi Cockburn against Wisconsin's unproven big men in the middle, has a matchup mismatch it can exploit throughout this game. Davis is great, but he's not a big man and would not be able to do anything against Cockburn. Both teams have an elite offensive weapon. If Illinois' weapon matches or outperforms Davis, Wisconsin is in huge trouble.
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Final Wisconsin-Illinois Prediction & Pick
The possibility of Illinois winning by 10 is real, but Wisconsin generally plays sound defense and structured offense, making it hard for opponents to get easy baskets off turnovers and in transition. Wisconsin doesn't make it easy for opponents to win, so with the Badgers getting this many points, they're a great choice to cover.
Final Wisconsin-Illinois Pick: Wisconsin +7.5
