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The Michigan Wolverines (17-12, 11-7 Big Ten) hope to continue a three-game winning streak when visiting the Illinois Fighting Illini (19-10, 10-8 Big Ten) at 7:00 PM ET on Thursday, March 2, 2023 at State Farm Center. The game airs on ESPN.
Illinois is a 4.5-point favorite against Michigan when the Fighting Illini square off against the Wolverines on Thursday. A 144-point over/under has been set for the game.
Illinois vs. Michigan Odds
Point Spread for Illinois vs. Michigan
The spread for this matchup is set at 4.5 points, with sportsbooks listing Illinois as the favorite.
Illinois vs. Michigan Moneyline
As for the moneyline, Illinois has -210 odds to pick up the win, while Michigan is listed at +176 to claim victory.
Over/Under
Finally, the total for the game is set at 144 points.
Game Time and How to Watch
- Game Day: Thursday, March 2, 2023
- Game Time: 7:00 PM ET
- TV Channel: ESPN
- Location: Champaign, Illinois
- Arena: State Farm Center
Illinois vs. Michigan Betting Trends
Illinois has 17 wins against the spread in 29 games this season. The Fighting Illini have been victorious in 14, or 66.7%, of the 21 contests they have been chosen as favorites in this season. Illinois’ games this year have eclipsed the over/under 41.4% of the time (12 out of 29 games with a set point total).
Michigan has 15 wins against the spread in 29 games this year. The Wolverines have been the moneyline underdog 11 total times this season. They’ve finished 2-9 in those games. Michigan has hit the over 55.2% of the time this year (16 of 29 games with a set point total).
Illinois vs. Michigan Key Players to Watch
Illinois
Coleman Hawkins is tops on his team in both rebounds (6.4) and assists (2.9) per game, and also averages 9.9 points. At the other end, he delivers 1 steal and 1.2 blocked shots. Matthew Mayer is averaging 12.6 points, 1.2 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game. Dain Dainja puts up 9.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game, shooting 65% from the floor.
Michigan
Hunter Dickinson is the Wolverines’ top scorer (17.6 points per game) and rebounder (8.6), and posts 1.4 assists. Kobe Bufkin gets the Wolverines 13.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. He also posts 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocked shots. Jett Howard is putting up 14.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists per contest, making 41.8% of his shots from the floor and 36.9% from 3-point range, with 2.7 treys per game. Dug McDaniel is the Wolverines’ top assist man (3.4 per game), and he puts up 8.2 points and 3.1 rebounds.
What you need to know about the Illinois Fighting Illini
A total of six out of Illinois’ 18 Big Ten games this season have hit the over. With 74.2 points per game on offense, the Fighting Illini rank 120th in the country. At the other end of the court, they cede 65.6 points per contest, which ranks 59th in college basketball. Illinois is top-25 this year in rebounding, ranking 22nd-best in college basketball with 35.7 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, it ranks 92nd with 29.7 rebounds allowed per contest.
Offensively, the Fighting Illini have performed better when playing at home this season, posting 76.6 points per game, compared to 69.9 per game in road games. Illinois ranks 135th in college basketball with 7.8 threes per game so far this year. Meanwhile, it ranks 333rd with a 31% shooting percentage from three-point land. The Fighting Illini are allowing 5.9 three-pointers per game (30th-ranked in college basketball) this season, while allowing a 33.2% three-point percentage (144th-ranked).
The Fighting Illini have gone 6-4 over their last 10 games, with a 6-4 record against the spread in that span. Three of Illinois’ past 10 outings have gone over the total. Illinois has been scoring 70.3 points per contest in its last 10 appearances, an average that’s a little lower than the 74.2 it has scored over the course of the 2022-23 season. Illinois has been more porous on defense lately, allowing 67.5 points per game over its last 10 contests compared to the 65.6 points per game its opponents average in the 2022-23 season.
What you need to know about the Michigan Wolverines
Michigan has compiled a 10-7-1 record against the spread in conference games this year. Offensively the Wolverines are the 136th-ranked squad in the country (73.4 points per game). Defensively they are 138th (68.7 points allowed per game). On the boards, Michigan is 76th in the nation in rebounds (33.6 per game). It is 263rd in rebounds conceded (32.2 per game).
In 2022-23 the Wolverines are scoring 9.4 more points per game at home (75.8) than on the road (66.4). Beyond the arc, Michigan is 147th in the country in 3-pointers made per game (7.7). It is 172nd in 3-point percentage at 34.5%. Defensively, the Wolverines are 118th in the country in 3-pointers allowed per game at 6.7. They are 78th in 3-point percentage conceded at 32.1%.
The Wolverines have a 6-3-1 record against the spread while going 6-4 overall over their last 10 contests. In its past 10 contests, Michigan has gone over the total six times. In its previous 10 games, Michigan is putting up 71.8 points per game, 1.6 fewer points than its season average (73.4). The Wolverines are surrendering 67.2 points per game over their last 10 games, which is 1.5 fewer points than they are allowing for the season (68.7).
Illinois vs. Michigan Prediction & Pick
Our prediction to win this game is Illinois, and we predict that Illinois will cover the spread (Illinois -4.5). Finally, we see the scoring in this one going under the posted total of 144 points.
How to bet Illinois vs. Michigan
You can bet on Illinois vs. Michigan at every legal online sportsbook. For more college basketball odds, including moneylines, spreads, over/under totals, check out the latest NCAA lines as well as our guide to the best college basketball betting sites.
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