Subscribe
Follow Us
Wisconsin and Illinois have started the year playing well, but Wisconsin has spiraled lately, while Illinois is also coming off a recent loss. It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Wisconsin-Illinois prediction and pick.
Wisconsin is 8-2 entering this game, with big wins against Arizona, UCF, and Pitt. They have also lost recent games to Michigan and Marquette back-to-back. They are a wildcard of a team this season in the Big Ten. John Tonje and John Blackwell are the keys for this team, especially on offense. They have been great and will be the keys in this game against the Illini on the road.
Illinois is 6-2 this season, but they have not won many games against notable programs. The only notable win they have is against Arkansas. Then, they have losses against Alabama and Northwestern. Tomislav Ivisic and Will Riley have been the best players on the team. Illinois has a lot of potential, and they can make a big statement in conference play in this game at home against the Badgers.
Here are the Wisconsin-Illinois College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Wisconsin-Illinois Odds
Wisconsin: +6.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +210
Illinois: -6.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -260
Over: 153.5 (-114)
Under: 153.5 (-106)
How to Watch Wisconsin vs. Illinois
Time: 9:00 pm ET/6:00 pm PT
TV: Peacock
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Wisconsin Will Cover The Spread/Win
Wisconsin's offense has been solid to start the season. They score 82 points per game, have a 45.4% field goal percentage, and a 34.7% three-point shooting percentage. This season, three Badgers are averaging over double digits in scoring, with John Tonje leading at 21.5 points per game. Then, Steven Crowl also leads the team in assists at 3.1 per game. The Badgers have the talent and coaching to play well on offense this season. This will be a big challenge in this game because, as good as the Wisconsin offense has been, the Illinois defense is great and has the athletes to slow them down. This will be a key matchup in this game.
The Badgers' defense has been inconsistent this year. They allow 70.9 points per game, 41.9% from the field, and 29.4% from behind the arc. Steven Crowl leads in rebounds at 5.7 per game. He also leads the team in blocks at 0.5 per game. Finally, Max Klesmit leads the team in steals at 1.5 per game. The Badgers have struggled on defense this year and face a massive challenge against Illinois. The Fighting Illini have been red-hot on offense and have the talent to score on this inconsistent at best defense for the Badgers.
Why Illinois Will Cover The Spread/Win
Illinois' offense has been great this year. They score 86.3 points per game, have a 44.7% field goal percentage, and a 33.9% three-point shooting percentage. Three Fighting Illini players are averaging over double digits in scoring this season, with Tomislav Ivisic leading the team with 16.1 points per game. Will Riley is just behind at 15 points per game. Kasparas Jakucionis is also the team leader in assists at 6.1 per game. The Illini have been great on offense and scoring at will this season. Wisconsin has been awful on defense. Still, the balance on the Illinois offense has a chance to overwhelm the struggling Wisconsin defense. The Illini have more talent, which will be the difference on this side of the court.
Illinois' defense has also been great this year. They allow 62.5 points per game, 36.6% from the field, and 25.1% from behind the arc. Down low, Ivisic has also been great, averaging 9.3 rebounds per game. Then, two players average at least one block per game, with Morez Johnson leading at 1.4. Finally, two players average at least one steal per game, with Jakucionis leading at 1.5. This defense is a big key in this game because the Badgers have some balance on offense and have been able to score very well this season. They have moved the ball well and need to score to prevent this game from getting ugly against the Fighting Illini.
Final Wisconsin-Illinois Prediction & Pick
The Fighting Illini are the better team in this game. Wisconsin has lost two straight to Michigan and Marquette, while Illinois also lost its most recent game to Northwestern. Illinois is the more trustworthy team right now. They lost extremely close to Northwestern in overtime and should bounce back in this game at home. Tomislav Ivisic and Will Riley are a great duo and will do more in this game to neutralize John Tonje for the Badgers.
Final Wisconsin-Illinois Prediction & Pick: Illinois -6.5 (-110)
