Illinois vs Northwestern Prediction: Picks, Live Odds & Moneyline - Thursday, February 23, 2023

The Illinois Fighting Illini (18-9, 9-7 Big Ten) look to continue a four-game home winning stretch when hosting the Northwestern Wildcats (20-7, 11-5 Big Ten) on Thursday, February 23, 2023 at 9:00 PM ET.

Illinois is a strong 7.5-point favorite against Northwestern when the Fighting Illini square off against the Wildcats on Thursday. A 136.5-point over/under has been set for the matchup.

Illinois vs. Northwestern Odds

Point Spread for Illinois vs. Northwestern

The spread for this matchup is set at 7.5 points, with sportsbooks listing Illinois as the favorite.

Illinois vs. Northwestern Moneyline

As for the moneyline, Illinois has -328 odds to pick up the win, while Northwestern is listed at +262 to claim victory.

Over/Under

Finally, the total for the game is set at 136.5 points.

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Game Time and How to Watch

Game Day: Thursday, February 23, 2023
Game Time: 9:00 PM ET
TV Channel: Big Ten Network
Location: Champaign, Illinois
Arena: State Farm Center

Illinois vs. Northwestern Betting Trends

Against the spread, Illinois is 17-10-0 this season. The Fighting Illini have been favorites in 19 games this season and have come away with the win 13 times (68.4%) in those contests. Illinois’ games this year have gone over the point total 44.4% of the time (12 out of 27 games with a set point total).

Northwestern has 17 wins against the spread in 27 games this year. The Wildcats have been the underdog on the moneyline 13 total times this season. They’ve gone 8-5 in those games. Northwestern’s games this season have hit the over on 10 of 27 set point totals (37%).

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Illinois vs. Northwestern Key Players to Watch

Illinois

Terrence Shannon Jr. is tops on his team in points per contest (17), and also puts up 5 rebounds and 3 assists. At the other end, he averages 1.4 steals and 0.5 blocked shots. Coleman Hawkins is tops on his squad in both rebounds (6.5) and assists (3.1) per game, and also puts up 9.9 points. Defensively, he averages 0.9 steals and 1.2 blocked shots. Matthew Mayer averages 12.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest. Defensively, he posts 0.8 steals and 1.3 blocked shots. Dain Dainja averages 10.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 0.6 assists per contest. Defensively, he posts 0.8 steals and 1.3 blocked shots.

Northwestern

Chase Audige is putting up 14.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game, making 38.4% of his shots from the field and 34.1% from 3-point range, with 2.1 triples per game. Ty Berry gets the Wildcats 8.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per contest. He also posts 1.5 steals and 0.2 blocked shots. Matthew Nicholson is posting a team-best 5.6 rebounds per contest. And he is producing 6.2 points and 1.3 assists, making 57.5% of his shots from the floor.

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What you need to know about the Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois and its Big Ten opponents have combined to go over the point total six out of 16 times this season. Offensively, the Fighting Illini are putting up 75 points per game (106th-ranked in college basketball). They are giving up 65.4 points per contest on defense (59th-ranked). Illinois ranks 18th-best in college basketball by averaging 36 boards per game. In terms of rebounds allowed, it ranks 93rd in college basketball (29.6 allowed per contest).

The Fighting Illini score 77.3 points per game when playing at home, compared to 71.1 points per game on the road, a difference of 6.2 points per contest. Illinois is sinking 7.9 threes per game (122nd-ranked in college basketball). It has a 31.5% shooting percentage (317th-ranked) from beyond the arc. The Fighting Illini are ceding 5.9 threes per game (30th-ranked in college basketball). They are allowing opponents to shoot 33.1% (137th-ranked) from beyond the arc.

The Fighting Illini have a 7-3 record against the spread while going 6-4 overall in their past 10 games. Illinois has hit the over in four of its past 10 contests. Illinois has been putting up 72 points per game in its last 10 appearances, an average that’s a little lower than the 75 it has scored over the course of the 2022-23 season. Illinois’ defense has been more porous lately, as the team has given up 68.1 points per game over its last 10 compared to the 65.4 points per game its opponents average on the season.

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What you need to know about the Northwestern Wildcats

Northwestern has won 11 games against the spread this season in conference play, while failing to cover five times. The Wildcats are 264th in the nation in points scored (68.5 per game) and 17th-best in points conceded (61.9). At 32 rebounds per game and 31.7 rebounds allowed, Northwestern is 166th and 226th in the nation, respectively.

The Wildcats are scoring fewer points at home (68.4 per game) than away (72.3). Northwestern makes 7.6 3-pointers per game and shoots 31.8% from beyond the arc, ranking 153rd and 301st, respectively, in college basketball. In 2022-23, the Wildcats are 205th in the nation in 3-pointers allowed (7.4 per game) and 137th in defensive 3-point percentage (33.1%).

The Wildcats have an 8-2 record against the spread while going 8-2 overall over their past 10 games. Northwestern has hit the over in four of its last 10 outings. Northwestern has played worse offensively over its last 10 games, averaging 67.7 points per contest, 0.8 fewer points its than season average of 68.5. The Wildcats are ceding 63.6 points per game over their previous 10 games, which is 1.7 more points than they are allowing for the season (61.9).