The Michigan Wolverines look to exact revenge against the Illinois Fighting Illini when these two teams meet for the second time this season this coming Saturday. Michigan is +6000 to win the national title, while Illinois is at +7000 to pull off that feat.
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Betting Preview for the Illinois Fighting Illini vs Michigan Wolverines NCAA College Basketball Game on January 25 2020
Where: Crisler Center, Ann Arbor
When: Saturday, January 25, 2020, 12:00 PM ET
Line: Illinois Fighting Illini (Odds) vs. Michigan Wolverines (Odds) – view all 2020 NCAAB lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Illinois Fighting Illini (13-5 Overall / 5-2 Conference)
The Fighting Illini started 2020 with a thud, losing to the Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing on Jan. 3, 76-56. But Illinois refused to let that loss set a trend for it, as the Fighting Illini have gone 4-0 straight-up (SU) in four games since, which includes a 75-71 win at home over the Northwestern Wildcats last Saturday. Illinois got balanced production from its starters, with four putting up double digits in scoring. Trent Frazier led the team with 16 points, while Ayo Dosunmu had 15. Meanwhile, Kofi Cockburn had 12 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks. Cockburn was instrumental in Illinois’ 71-62 win at home over the Wolverines back in December in which he posted a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds to go with four blocks. Cockburn, a seven-footer, will have the memory of that performance feeding him confidence heading into the rematch with Michigan, which is allowing opponents shoot 60.4 percent at the rim. Illinois shot just 45.9 percent from the field against Michigan and went 1 for 11 from deep, but managed to shoot 9 for 24 from behind the arc in the Northwestern game.
The Fighting Illini covered the spread as 1.5-point home favorites against Michigan in the last game between the two teams.
Betting on the Michigan Wolverines (11-6 Overall / 2-4 Conference)
The Wolverines have lost their last two games ahead of a home game against the Penn State Nittany Lions at home Wednesday. After taking a 75-67 road loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers, the Wolverines got ambushed by the Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa over the weekend, 90-83. Eli Brooks carried most of the load for Michigan in the Iowa game, exploding for 25 points after being so cold in the previous games. Prior to the win over Iowa, Brooks went 1 for 14 from deep and scored only 15 points across three games. Brooks will have to keep that kind of production to mitigate the absence of Isaiah Livers, who’s missed five games in a row due to a groin issue. Livers is second on the team with 13.6 points per game. Livers was in uniform though against Iowa so his status for the date with Penn State could very well tell his availability for the home game this weekend against the Fighting Illini. In the loss to Illinois last December, Livers and Brooks each had 12 points, while Jon Teske paced the Wolverines with 16 points to go with seven rebounds. Teske also leads the team this season with 14.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.
The Wolverines are 3-1-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last five games against Illinois.
Writer’s Prediction
Michigan wins, 72-69.
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