When you talk about college sports, you very often get into which conferences are the strongest. Of course, this conversation varies by sport, as you don’t very often see a lot of teams that are strong on the football field and the hard court. Some schools are traditionally known for football, while others are all about basketball. Where the SEC is arguably the best when it comes to football, they are not quite so strong when talking about hoops.
The one conference that looks to be killing it in both sports right now is the Big Ten. You have the Ohio State Buckeyes in as the #2 seed in the college football playoffs, while the conference also has 3 teams currently occupying the top 5 in basketball, although that is going to change when the new rankings go up next week. The Michigan Wolverines are in the #5 spot right now and will look to maintain their perfect record in the conference when they head to Illinois to face the Fighting Illini on Wednesday night. Michigan is a 1-point underdog heading into this game, with the point total set at 145 ½.
Michigan vs Illinois 2019 College Basketball Odds, Game Info & Prediction
- When: Wednesday, December 11 at 9 PM EST
- Where: State Farm Center, Champaign
- TV: BTN
- Radio: SiriusXM
- Live Stream: BTN+
- College Basketball Odds: Illinois -1 (Total 145.5)
Why bet on the Michigan Wolverines?
The Wolverines come into this game with an 8-1 record on the season, with that lone loss coming at the hands of the #1 ranked Louisville Cardinals. Rather than letting that defeat get them down, the Wolverines bounced back and close out last week with a 103-91 win over Iowa in a game that they started as a 7-point favorite. Covering the spread has now become a common theme for the Wolverines, who are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games.Things get even better when you look at their record against Illinois, with Michigan going 13-3-1 ATS in their last 17 meetings with the Fighting Illini. In their last 5 road games, Michigan has seen the OVER hit 4 times, so well worth looking at that bet.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 80.33
- Field Goal Percentage: 50.19
- Three-Point Percentage: 39.91
- Free Throw Percentage: 71.94
- Total Rebounds: 37.22
Defense
- Total Score: 67.89
- Field Goal Percentage: 41.09
- Three-Point Percentage: 28.19
- Free Throw Percentage: 62.04
- Total Rebounds: 35.22
Why bet on the Illinois Fighting Illini?
While it is not yet dire circumstances, the Illinois Fighting Illini cannot be pleased with what has gone down in the last week or so. After jumping out to a 6-1 start to the season, Illinois has now lost back to back games, including their Big Ten Conference opener against the Maryland Terrapins.
This is not good news for a team that has just 2 wins in their last 10 against the Michigan Wolverines and who are 3-6-1 ATS in those 10 outings. With that in mind, it is certainly a little surprising to see them in as a 1-point favorite in this one. The Fighting Illini are now just 1-4 SU in their last 5 games versus teams from the Big Ten and are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 Wednesday games.
Team Stats
Offense- Total Score: 83.89
- Field Goal Percentage: 50.00
- Three-Point Percentage: 32.89
- Free Throw Percentage: 72.12
- Total Rebounds: 43.44
Defense
- Total Score: 68.56
- Field Goal Percentage: 41.86
- Three-Point Percentage: 33.81
- Free Throw Percentage: 68.00
- Total Rebounds: 27.78
Michigan vs Illinois College Basketball Betting Trends
- Wolverines are 12-1 SU in their last 13 games played in December
- Wolverines are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games against an opponent in the Big Ten conference
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Michigan’s last 6 games on the road
- Fighting Illinois are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games at home
- Fighting Illinois are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games played on a Wednesday
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Illinois’ last 5 games when playing at home against Michigan
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Michigan vs Illinois
The one wager that sems to stand out here is the OVER. Michigan has been trending that way of late, and 7 of the last 10 meetings between these two teams have gone that route. I am taking the OVER and the Wolverines to come up with the road win.Score: Michigan Wolverines 77 – Illinois Fighting Illini 73
