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The Illinois Fighting Illini (9-4, 0-2 Big Ten) square off against the Northwestern Wildcats (10-3, 1-1 Big Ten) on Wednesday at 9:00 PM ET in Big Ten play.
The Fighting Illini are currently moderate 3.5-point favorites over the Wildcats. The game’s over/under is 134.
Illinois vs. Northwestern Odds
Point Spread for Illinois vs. Northwestern
The spread for this matchup is set at 3.5 points, with sportsbooks listing Illinois as the favorite.
Illinois vs. Northwestern Moneyline
As for the moneyline, Illinois has -170 odds to pick up the win, while Northwestern is listed at +144 to claim victory.
Over/Under
Finally, the total for the game is set at 134 points.
Game Time and How to Watch
- Game Day: Wednesday, January 4, 2023
- Game Time: 9:00 PM ET
- Location: Evanston, Illinois
- Arena: Welsh-Ryan Arena
Illinois vs. Northwestern Betting Trends
Illinois has played 13 games, with seven wins against the spread. The Fighting Illini have been favorites in seven games this season and have come away with the win four times (57.1%) in those contests. Illinois’ games this year have hit the over 46.2% of the time (six out of 13 games with a set point total).
Northwestern has seven wins against the spread in 13 games this season. The Wildcats are 1-2 in games they were listed as the moneyline underdog (winning 33.3% of those games). Northwestern’s games this season have hit the over 23.1% of the time (three out of 13 games with a set point total).
Illinois vs. Northwestern Key Players to Watch
Illinois
Terrence Shannon Jr. averages a team-leading 17.8 points per game. He is also putting up 5.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists, shooting 45.5% from the floor and 33.3% from downtown with 1.9 made 3-pointers per contest. Coleman Hawkins leads his team in both rebounds (6.5) and assists (3.8) per contest, and also posts 9.2 points. Defensively, he delivers 1.2 steals and 1.4 blocked shots. Dain Dainja posts 10.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. Defensively, he posts 1 steal and 1.2 blocked shots. Matthew Mayer averages 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. At the other end, he averages 1.1 steals and 0.8 blocked shots.
Northwestern
Chase Audige is posting team highs in points (15.4 per game) and assists (3.2). And he is contributing 3.4 rebounds, making 40.2% of his shots from the field and 35.8% from 3-point range, with 2.2 triples per game. Boo Buie leads the Wildcats in assists (4.2 per game), and puts up 13.8 points and 3.6 rebounds. He also posts 1.1 steals and 0.2 blocked shots. Ty Berry gets the Wildcats 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per contest. He also posts 1.8 steals and 0.3 blocked shots. Robbie Beran gives the Wildcats 9.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. He also posts 0.5 steals and 1 block.
What you need to know about the Illinois Fighting Illini
A total of 10 of Illinois’ conference games last season went over the point total. Offensively, the Fighting Illini are posting 78.1 points per game (62nd-ranked in college basketball). They are giving up 63.7 points per contest at the other end of the court (55th-ranked). So far this year, Illinois is averaging 36.6 boards per game (30th-ranked in college basketball) and ceding 29.3 rebounds per contest (79th-ranked).
Illinois is draining 9.1 threes per game (44th-ranked in college basketball) this season, while owning a 33% three-point percentage (224th-ranked). The Fighting Illini rank 76th in the country with 6.2 treys allowed per game this season. Meanwhile, they rank 171st with a 32.7% shooting percentage allowed from beyond the arc.
What you need to know about the Northwestern Wildcats
Northwestern won nine conference games against the spread last year, while failing to cover or pushing 13 times. On offense, the Wildcats are the 298th-ranked squad in the nation (67.3 points per game). On defense, they are eighth-best (57 points allowed per game). Northwestern is 39th in the country in rebounds per game (36.2) and 232nd in rebounds conceded (32).
At 8.1 made 3-pointers per game and shooting 30.9% from beyond the arc, Northwestern is 115th and 307th in the nation, respectively, in those categories. Giving up 7.7 3-pointers per game and conceding 32.3% from beyond the arc, the Wildcats are 248th and 154th in the nation, respectively, in those categories.
Illinois vs. Northwestern Prediction & Pick
Our pick to win this contest is Northwestern, and we expect that Northwestern will cover the spread (Illinois -3.5). Finally, we see the scoring in this one going under the posted total of 134 points.
How to bet Illinois vs. Northwestern
You can bet on Illinois vs. Northwestern 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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