Illinois vs. Wisconsin Pick
Can Wisconsin avoid giving Illinois its first win in Big Ten play when the two teams meet up tonight at 9PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Wisconsin is the favorite at home, as the Badgers are getting odds of -4.5 points against Illinois. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 133.5 points. Tonight’s game takes place from the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin and will air live on FS1.
Illinois has lost four straight and all six Big Ten games this season. The Illini is 10-9 overall and 7-7-1 against the spread. Illinois is averaging 78.1 points per game this season while allowing 72.4 per contest. Leron Black is leading Illinois with 14.4 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while Michael Finke is adding 10.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per contest.
Wisconsin has lost three straight games coming into tonight. The Badgers are 9-10 overall, 2-4 in the Big Ten and 6-11-1 against the spread. Wisconsin is averaging 68.1 points per game on offense this season while allowing 65.6 per contest. Ethan Happ is leading Wisconsin with 16.7 points and 8.4 rebounds per contest while Brad Davison is adding 11.7 points per contest.
Wisconsin has won 10 straight meetings with Illinois, covering the spread in nine of the 10 games. The Badgers are returning off a rough three-game road trip. They have played pretty well at home in recent games, including a 10-point win over Indiana. Illinois has lost its all six road games this season. I think that Wisconsin will settle in at home and turn up the intensity tonight knowing it has a chance to win. The public betting is heavily with Wisconsin tonight and I agree with them.
CBB DAILY PREDICTION: WISCONSIN -4.5