Northwestern (6-3) vs Illinois (6-1)
Game Info: Friday, December 6, 2024 at 9:00 pm (Welsh-Ryan Arena)
Betting Odds: Northwestern +2.5 / Illinois -2.5 --- Over/Under: 144
The Illinois & Northwestern Game Preview!
We've been cranking out these college basketball articles like crazy, but more importantly, our team's been spotting awesome value and helping our readers cash in on these predictions! Today, we're diving into the matchup between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Northwestern Wildcats, who are facing off this Friday at the Welsh-Ryan Arena. Here's a prediction for the Illinois vs Northwestern game. We'll check it out from a betting angle and figure out the best pick for Illinois vs Northwestern.
The Illinois Fighting Illini Team Preview!
The Illini have looked pretty good so far, with one lone blemish versus Alabama on November 20. Outside of that it’s been wins over Eastern Illinois, SIU Edwardsville, Oakland, MD Eastern Shore, Little Rock and Arkansas.
During the Thanksgiving game against Arkansas, Illinois had a solid lead of 49-34 by halftime. They kept up the momentum in the second half and ended up winning 90-77. Kasparas Jakucionis was on fire with 23 points, and Tomislav Ivisic had a great game too, scoring 21 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
The Northwestern Wildcats Team Preview!
Over on the Wildcats’ side, they’ve got three losses on the card versus Dayton, Butler and Iowa. The wins otherwise have been versus Lehigh, UIC, Eastern Illinois, Montana State, Pepperdine and UNLV.
When Northwestern faced off against Iowa on Tuesday, they were trailing 45-34 at the half. The Wildcats made a comeback but lost 80-79 on a last-second 3-pointer. Brooks Barnhizer led the team with 21 points and 10 rebounds, earning a double-double.
The Illinois vs Northwestern Game Prediction!
The Pick: Illinois -2 -113
I'm sticking with the Illini for this matchup. Northwestern showed resilience in a close road game against Iowa, shooting 48.3% and leading in rebounds, but they allowed 54.5% shooting from the opposition. Despite being competitive, with losses by five points or less, this is their toughest game yet. Illinois recently defeated a strong Arkansas team, shooting 52.6% and scoring over 87 points in most games this season. Northwestern needs a strong home performance to compete, but I doubt they can pull it off.
Why the Illinois Fighting Illini will win
Illinois has won each of its last eight night games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
Northwestern has lost four of its last five games against the Big Ten Conference.
Northwestern has lost the first half in five of its last six night games against AP-ranked opponents.
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