Penn State vs. Illinois Pick
Can Penn State go on the road and take care of business when it takes on Illinois tonight at 7PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at YouWager, Penn State is slightly favored on the road, as the Nittany Lions are getting odds of -2.5 points against Illinois. The over/under total for the game is listed at 146.5 points. Tonight’s game takes place from the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois and will air live on the Big Ten Network.
Penn State had won four of its last five coming into tonight, including a 74-70 win over Maryland this week. The Nittany Lions are 17-9 overall, 7-6 in the Big Ten and 11-10-1 against the spread. Penn State is putting up 76.2 points per game on offense while allowing just 66.9 per contest. Tony Carr is leading Penn State this season with 19.3 points and 4.9 assists per contest. Lamar Stevens is adding 15.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Illinois is coming off a 78-69 loss at home to Wisconsin for its second straight loss. The Illini are now 12-13 overall, 2-10 in the Big Ten and 9-11-1 against the spread. Illinois is averaging 76.2 points per game on offense while allowing 72.9 per contest. Leron Black has been leading Illinois with 14.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while Trent Frazier is adding 12.5 points and 2.8 assists per contest.
Bet on Penn State vs. Illinois
Penn State has won three straight meetings with Illinois, covering the spread in the last four meetings as well. The Nittany Lions have come into their own over their last two road games, beating Ohio State while giving Michigan State a run for its money as well. I think Penn State has hit its stride in recent weeks and is trying to make a run at the NCAA Tournament. To do that, it can’t slip up against a bad Illinois team. The spread is small enough where its almost a pick em. I will go with Penn State to win and cover. The public betting is siding with the Nittany Lions as well.
CBB DAILY PREDICTION: PENN STATE -2.5