The Illinois Fighting Illini are set to face the Michigan Wolverines. Check out our college basketball odds series, which includes our Illinois Michigan prediction, odds, and pick.
The Illinois Fighting Illini are still in the hunt for the Big Ten championship, but they lost crucial leverage — and a game — on Thursday at home against Ohio State. College basketball odds analysts will tell you that Illinois has generally had a better season than the Buckeyes, but they weren't better than OSU in a big late-season battle. Kofi Cockburn did not have a particularly good game. Ohio State contained him and did enough to clamp down on Illinois' perimeter shooters. The Buckeyes built a big lead before Illinois' late run fell just short. This was a game the Illini will remember if they fail to win the Big Ten. Should Wisconsin defeat Purdue on Tuesday, the Badgers will claim the Big Ten championship. Illinois, which beat Wisconsin earlier this season, will lament the wrong turns in this season, the Ohio State game being at the forefront. If this team is to have any chance of winning a share of the Big Ten, it has to beat Michigan. Factor that point into an Illinois Michigan prediction.
The Michigan Wolverines' situation entering this game is fascinating. As you probably know, the Illinois Michigan odds have been reshaped by a number of details, chief among them the Wolverines having a new head coach. Juwan Howard was suspended for the rest of the season for making physical contact (some called it a punch, others a slap) toward a Wisconsin assistant coach one week ago, so UM has an assistant coach as its interim leader. The good news for Michigan is that this assistant coach has decades of head coaching experience.
Phil Martelli, who spent multiple decades at the helm of the Saint Joseph's Hawks and led the program to the Elite Eight in 2004, was Howard's assistant last season and this season. He now slides into the top spot on the bench and is fully capable of guiding Michigan with expertise and skill. Martelli led Michigan to a win over Rutgers on Thursday, keeping the Maize and Blue alive in their pursuit of an NCAA Tournament bid. Howard's exit might not even be a bad thing for Michigan. Martelli might actually be the better coach as this team scrambles to rescue a season which has not gone the way Wolverine fans had hoped. Keep that point in mind when contemplating an Illinois Michigan pick.
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Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Illinois-Michigan odds:
College Basketball Odds: Illinois-Michigan Odds
Illinois: -1 (-105)
Michigan: +1 (-115)
Over: 141.5 (-110)
Under: 141.5 (-110)
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Why Illinois Could Cover the Spread
The Illini need this game, and Kofi Cockburn did not play well his last time out. If he plays well, Illinois probably wins.
Why Michigan Could Cover the Spread
The Wolverines might be better with Phil Martelli coaching them instead of Juwan Howard. Hunter Dickinson can stand up to Cockburn and neutralize him.
Final Illinois-Michigan Prediction & Pick
The one-point spread essentially makes this game a pick'em. Pick a winner. Illinois, with Cockburn playing well, is the better choice, but it's anyone's game to win.
Final Illinois-Michigan Pick: Illinois -1
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