College Basketball Picks & Predictions for Tuesday, January 18, 2011
By Drew Sharper
CHAMPAIGN, IL (TheSpread) – No. 23 Illinois hosts No. 17 Michigan State in a key Big Ten game on Tuesday. Here is a breakdown of my pick for this contest.
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Michigan State is 12-5 on the season and 1-2 on the road while Illinois is 13-5 on the year and 9-0 at home. MSU is 4-1 in the Big Ten while Illinois is 3-2
Oddsmakers from online sportsbook SBGGLOBAL.com have released their odds for this game and made Illinois a 4.5-point favorite at home for this game. The over/under has been set at 136 points. Here is a look at the trends and my pick for tonight’s game.
Michigan State vs. Illinois, 7PM ET
Michigan State is just 5-12 against the spread in their last 17 games with Illinois and 2-9 ATS in their last 11 following a win. Illinois is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 against the Big Ten. My pick is with Illinois as Michigan State continues to struggle and Illinois is a tough place to play. Look for the Illini to control the game and win with some ease.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL FREE PICK: ILLINOIS -4.5