It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an Illinois-Indiana prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Illinois-Indiana.
The Indiana Hoosiers got a splash of cold water this past weekend against Iowa. The Hoosiers uncorked a 13-0 run in the first half, but that run was sandwiched by 15-0 and 10-0 runs from the Hawkeyes, who dominated the second half and beat IU by 25 points. Indiana had been playing well in its previous few games, beating Rutgers, Penn State on the road, and then USC, but it was always worth keeping in mind that Rutgers, PSU, and USC were not and are not top-five teams in the Big Ten. Indiana was handling middle-tier teams, not top-tier squads. The loss to Iowa reinforced the point that Indiana does not look like a top-line Big Ten contender. Maybe the Hoosiers are a team with an outside chance if everything goes well for them, but any complications and anything less than this team's best effort will get punished. Head coach Mike Woodson continues to deliver less-than-great results. It is becoming increasingly hard for anyone who follows Indiana basketball to think that Woodson is the best the Hoosiers can do. One has to wonder when his seat will get especially hot. Indiana is not a job where making the NCAA Tournament is the goal or expectation. Winning NCAA Tournament games and competing for Big Ten championships is the standard, and Woodson's IU team doesn't seem likely to do those things in 2025 unless he can unlock something better in this roster.
Illinois is coming off a surprising home-court loss to USC. The Illini did not shoot the ball well from the perimeter, but what hurt them the most was their inability to defend the dribble drive to the rim. USC's Desmond Claude torched Illinois for 31 points, repeatedly beating the Illini off the bounce. Illinois lost on a day when star player Kasparas Jakucionis was out with an injury. However, Jakucionis was also out for the Penn State game earlier in the week, and Illinois looked great in that game, winning by almost 40 points. It was still a bad showing for Illinois. Not having one of its best players mattered, but the supporting cast regressed relative to the Penn State game. Now we get to find out if Illinois can bounce back. The Illini are a Big Ten title contender; back-to-back losses would put a big dent in their title aspirations.
Here are the Illinois-Indiana College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Illinois-Indiana Odds
Illinois: -3.5 (-115)
Moneyline: -176
Indiana: +3.5 (-105)
Moneyline: +146
Over: 158.5 (-110)
Under: 158.5 (-110)
How to Watch Illinois vs Indiana
Time: 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT
TV: Peacock
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Illinois Will Cover The Spread/Win
Illinois played a clunker against USC. Chances are the Illini will get back on the beam and play well in this game. If they play well, the Illini are clearly better than Indiana. There is no real doubt about that point.
Why Indiana Will Cover The Spread/Win
Indiana was horrible in the second half against Iowa on the road. Coming home for a big game, the Hoosiers — in their building — are going to go all out to right the ship and get back on track. Illinois can be great, but the Illini can also be awful, as we saw in the poor performance against USC. Indiana can steer this game in its favor, and once that happens, Illinois might not be able to do anything about it.
Final Illinois-Indiana Prediction & Pick
We feel confident Illinois will get back on track. Take Illinois.
Final Illinois-Indiana Prediction & Pick: Illinois -3.5