Unranked Iowa heads to Champaign to face #12 Illinois on Saturday afternoon at 2:15 PM ET on the Big Ten Network. Can the Hawkeyes cover the 9.5-point spread as road underdogs? Keep reading for our Iowa vs. Illinois prediction.
The Iowa Hawkeyes are 16-11 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 11-16 ATS this season.
The Illinois Fighting Illini are 19-7 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 13-10-3 ATS this season.
Iowa vs. Illinois Matchup & Betting Odds
645 Iowa Hawkeyes (+9.5) at 646 Illinois Fighting Illini (-9.5); o/u 165.5
2:15 p.m. ET, Saturday, February 24, 2024
State Farm Center, Champaign, IL
TV: Big Ten Network
Iowa vs. Illinois Public Betting Information
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that 68% of public bettors are currently backing Illinois when it comes to the spread. This information is subject to change throughout the day, however, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Iowa Hawkeyes Game Notes
Hawkeyes forward Payton Sandfort was tremendous in his team’s 78-71 road win over Michigan State on Tuesday night. In that game, the 6’7” junior recorded 22 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal. He shot 7 of 15 from the field and 6 of 7 from the free-throw line in the victory.
Iowa forward Ben Krikke notched a double-double against Michigan State on Tuesday night. The senior from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada went for 18 points and 14 rebounds to help put his team in the win column for the second time in as many games.
Illinois Fighting Illini Game Notes
Illini guard Terrence Shannon Jr. recorded a double-double of his own in his team’s 90-89 road loss to Penn State on Wednesday. The 6’6” senior from Chicago posted a monstrous stat line of 35 points and 11 rebounds in the defeat. Shannon is second in the Big Ten in scoring this season with 22.1 points per contest.
Illinois forward Marcus Domask was the only other Fighting Illini player to score in double figures on Tuesday. The senior from Waupun, Wisconsin supplied 15 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds in the loss. He shot 6 of 13 from the field and 3 of 3 from the charity stripe. Domask is second on the team in scoring with 15.5 points per game this season.
Iowa vs. Illinois CBB Betting Trends
Iowa is 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
The Hawkeyes are 4-6 ATS as the road team this season.
Illinois is 10-9-2 ATS as a favorite this season.
Illinois is 8-6-1 ATS in conference games this season.
Iowa vs. Illinois CBB Prediction:
Iowa is an average and unremarkable college basketball team. The Hawkeyes rank 51st nationally in adjusted efficiency margin and 79th in average scoring margin this year. Iowa has toppled Wisconsin and Michigan State in their last two games, but they had losses to Maryland, Penn State, and Indiana in a bad five-game stretch before that. I’m not sold on the Hawkeyes.
Illinois is in a position to potentially win the Big Ten title. The Fighting Illini are only 2.5 games behind current conference leader Purdue, and the Boilermakers have to come to Champaign in the penultimate game of the season on March 5th. Illinois is good enough to win the Big Ten. The Fighting Illini are 12th in adjusted efficiency margin and 16th in average scoring margin this season. They have two players (Terrence Shannon Jr. and Marcus Domask) who average over 15 points per game, and they’ve been one of the unluckiest teams in the country so far this year. That could change very soon. I think the Illini bounce back in a big way at home over the Hawkeyes and win this game by double digits.