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The Illinois Fighting Illini (12-5, 3-3 Big Ten) will try to continue a three-game winning run when they visit the Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-8, 1-4 Big Ten) at 6:00 PM ET on Monday, January 16, 2023 at Williams Arena.
The Fighting Illini are currently strong 9.5-point favorites over the Golden Gophers. A 136.5-point over/under has been set for the matchup.
Illinois vs. Minnesota Odds
Point Spread for Illinois vs. Minnesota
The spread for this matchup is set at 9.5 points, with sportsbooks listing Illinois as the favorite.
Illinois vs. Minnesota Moneyline
As for the moneyline, Illinois has -420 odds to pick up the win, while Minnesota is listed at +323 to claim victory.
Over/Under
Finally, the total for the game is set at 136.5 points.
Game Time and How to Watch
- Game Day: Monday, January 16, 2023
- Game Time: 6:00 PM ET
- Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Arena: Williams Arena
Illinois vs. Minnesota Betting Trends
Against the spread, Illinois is 10-7-0 this season. The Fighting Illini have won in seven, or 63.6%, of the 11 contests they have been named as odds-on favorites in this year. Illinois’ games this year have gone over the total in eight out of 15 opportunities (53.3%).
Minnesota is 7-8-0 against the spread this season. The Golden Gophers are 2-8 in games they were the underdog on the moneyline (winning 20% of those games). Minnesota’s games this season have hit the over on four of 15 set point totals (26.7%).
Illinois vs. Minnesota Key Players to Watch
Illinois
Terrence Shannon Jr. is tops on his team in points per contest (18.0), and also averages 5.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Defensively, he averages 1.3 steals and 0.5 blocked shots. Coleman Hawkins leads his squad in both rebounds (6.2) and assists (3.5) per contest, and also averages 10.1 points. At the other end, he puts up 0.9 steals and 1.2 blocked shots. Matthew Mayer averages 10.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, shooting 43.0% from the floor and 36.5% from downtown with 1.8 made 3-pointers per contest. Dain Dainja averages 10.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 0.5 assists per contest. At the other end, he posts 0.8 steals and 1.5 blocked shots.
Minnesota
Ta’Lon Cooper is averaging a team-high 6.3 assists per game. And he is delivering 10.7 points and 4.3 rebounds, making 46.0% of his shots from the floor and 55.8% from beyond the arc (third in the nation), with 1.6 triples per game. Dawson Garcia is the Golden Gophers’ top scorer (15.5 points per game) and rebounder (6.7), and averages 1.7 assists. The Golden Gophers get 7.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game from Pharrel Payne. Jamison Battle gives the Golden Gophers 13.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.8 assists per contest. He also posts 0.8 steals and 0.1 blocked shots.
What you need to know about the Illinois Fighting Illini
Offensively, the Fighting Illini are averaging 76.8 points per game (71st-ranked in college basketball). They are surrendering 63.9 points per contest on defense (48th-ranked). With 36.2 boards per game, Illinois ranks 30th in the nation. It allows 30.2 rebounds per contest, which ranks 126th in college basketball.
With 8.8 three-pointers per game, Illinois ranks 53rd in college basketball. It sports a 33.2% shooting percentage from three-point land, which ranks 230th in college basketball. The Fighting Illini are 34th in the country with 5.8 treys allowed per game this year. Meanwhile, they rank 98th with a 31.6% shooting percentage allowed from beyond the arc.
The Fighting Illini are 5-5 against the spread and 6-4 overall over their past 10 contests. In its past 10 contests, Illinois has hit the over four times. In its last 10 games, Illinois has been racking up 72.4 points per contest, an average that’s slightly lower than the 76.8 it has scored over the course of the 2022-23 season. Illinois has been more porous on defense as of late, allowing 67.3 points per game during its past 10 outings compared to the 63.9 points per game its opponents are averaging in the 2022-23 season.
What you need to know about the Minnesota Golden Gophers
On offense, the Golden Gophers are the 20th-worst team in the nation (64.7 points per game). Defensively, they are 131st (67.5 points allowed per game). With 31.7 rebounds per game and 32.6 rebounds allowed, Minnesota is 210th and 267th in the nation, respectively.
The Golden Gophers average 65.4 points per game at home, and 64.3 on the road. Minnesota makes 6.9 3-pointers per game and shoots 33.3% from beyond the arc, ranking 239th and 223rd, respectively, in the nation. Defensively, the Golden Gophers are 142nd in college basketball in 3-pointers conceded per game at 6.9. They are 247th in 3-point percentage conceded at 34.4%.
The Golden Gophers have a 5-5 record against the spread while going 3-7 overall in their past 10 games. In its past 10 games, Minnesota has gone over the total four times. Minnesota is putting up 65.4 points per game in its past 10 games, which is 0.7 more than its average for the season (64.7). The Golden Gophers have performed worse defensively over their last 10 games, ceding 70.8 points per contest, 3.3 more points their than season average of 67.5.
Illinois vs. Minnesota Prediction & Pick
Our prediction to win this contest is Illinois, and we expect that Illinois will cover the spread (Illinois -9.5). Finally, we see the scoring in this one going under the posted total of 136.5 points.
How to bet Illinois vs. Minnesota
You can bet on Illinois vs. Minnesota 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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