Hawkeyes vs. Fighting Illini Prediction
A battle of top 25 opponents is on tap in the Big Ten Conference tonight as the 18th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes play at the 23rd-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini. Is Illinois the right team to bet on as the favorites in this matchup?
Game Snapshot
845 Iowa Hawkeyes at 846 Illinois Fighting Illini
Sunday, March 8, 2020
State Farm Center at 7PM ET
TV: BTN
Compare odds from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our NCAA Basketball Odds & Betting Page
According to oddsmakers, the Fighting Illini are a 3.5-point favorite on the spread line. The total is set at 145.5 points. As of Sunday morning, 67 percent of public bets are coming in on host Illinois. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for the latest info.
Hawkeyes falter against Boilermakers
Iowa lost by a 77-68 score at home Tuesday night versus Purdue to drop to 20-10 overall and 11-8 in conference action. The Hawkeyes trailed 42-25 at halftime and were unable to rally all the way back. Luka Garza paced Iowa with 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting including 2-of-5 from 3-point distance plus 6-of-8 at the free throw line. He also racked up 12 rebounds, four steals and four blocked shots. Joe Wieskamp added 10 points and seven boards.
Illini struggle in second half
Illinois lost by a score of 71-63 Thursday night at Ohio State to drop to 20-10 overall and 12-7 in Big 10 play. The Fighting Illini were outscored 41-26 in the second half after leading by seven at the break. Ayo Dosunmu paced Illinois with 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting including 1-of-3 from 3-point range plus 2-of-2 at the charity stripe. He also registered five rebounds and five assists. Andres Feliz added 11 points and 11 boards.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Iowa
The Hawkeyes are 5-0 ATS in their last five Sunday games. Iowa is 4-1 ATS in its last five games overall.
Illinois
The home team is 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings. The Fighting Illini are 2-5 AT Sin their last seven games as a favorite.
Prediction:
Iowa had been extremely good at home all season but let one get away this week and now has to refocus its energy on a tough date at Illinois. The Hawkeyes have an elite offense while Illinois leans on its defense. Iowa downed the Fighting Illini 72-65 at home earlier this season and in a contest I feel is basically a tossup, I feel more comfortable taking the points with the road team. Look for another big night out of Garza to lead the way for Illinois.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL DAILY PREDICTION: IOWA HAWKEYES +3.5