Big Ten basketball will be live from State College, PA on Valentine's Day for a matchup between two teams heading in opposite directions lately. The Illinois Fighting Illini (17-7) will be hosted by the Penn State Nittany Lions (14-11). Illinois will be looking to continue their hot streak while Penn State looks to break their losing skid. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Illinois-Penn State prediction and pick.
The Illinois Fighting Illini are sitting in fourth place in the Big Ten and are just a few game back of leading Purdue. They've gotten hot recently and have won four of their last five games. Their last win came over No. 24 Rutgers in a game where the Illini locked the Scarlet Knights down for the final ten minutes of the game. They'll look to replicate their defensive performance against Penn State here tonight.
The Penn State Nittany Lions were a strong team in the Big Ten mid-season, but have recently taken a drastic drop in the rankings. Their most recent ten game stretch has seen them win only three games and no road wins since December 10, 2022 when they beat this Illinois squad. They'll be smaller underdogs in this rematch as the Nittany Lions enjoy home court advantage.
Here are the Illinois-Penn State college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Illinois-Penn State Odds
Illinois: -2.5 (-106)
Penn State: +2.5 (-114)
Over: 141.5 (-106)
Under: 141.5 (-114)
How To Watch Illinois vs. Penn State
TV: ESPNU
Stream: ESPN App, fuboTV
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/ 4:00 p.m. PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Illinois Could Cover The Spread
Illinois will be the more skilled team in this matchup with the play of Terrence Shannon Jr. and Coleman Hawkins. The pair collectively leads the Illini in points, rebounds, assists, steals. The guard/forward combo have a great chemistry together and play a dangerous pick-and-roll game. While the Illini have been scoring points easily this year, their achilles heel has been their free-throw shooting, sitting at just 67%. They'll have to convert at the line to cover the tight spread on the road as favorites.
Illinois has been one of the better covering teams in the nation at 16-8 against the spread. They're also 15-5 when billed as the favorite and 4-2 ATS when playing as the away team. Of their last six games against Penn State, Illinois has been able to win five of them straight up. With the spread being so short, Illinois will be in a great spot to cover against a struggling Penn State team.
Why Penn State Could Cover The Spread
Penn State has been a pesky team in the Big Ten but have not been able to turn their grittiness into wins. They're just 5-9 against conference opponents and can't find a way to win on the road, going just 1-7 in games as the visitors. They've lost some close ones recently, so the Nittany Lions will hope that they can finally close a game out, especially in front of their fans. They'll look to their leader Jalen Pickett as the guard leads his team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. He's been an all-around star for Penn State, but will need help from his teammates if they want to get this win at home tonight. Andrew Funk will look to contribute from three.
Contrary to their road woes, Penn State has gone 11-2 when playing at home. In those games, they've gone 8-5 ATS. They have the upper hand over Illinois as they previously beat them by 15 points earlier in the season, but both teams have since gone in different directions with Penn State having the worse stretch. Nevertheless, they continue to be a threat whenever playing at home.
Final Illinois-Penn State Prediction & Pick
Penn State may have gotten the first win against Illinois, but I predict that the Illini will have made the correct adjustments when facing Penn State this time around. While I love the way the Nittany Lions play at home, I believe the Illini are locked-in right now and looking to win these crucial games down the stretch. Let's take Illinois to cover.
Final Illinois-Penn State Prediction & Pick: Illinois Fighting Illini -2.5 (-106)
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