Illinois Fighting Illini vs Michigan Wolverines Predictions, Picks, Odds, and NCAA Basketball Betting Preview – March 2 2021

The Illinois Fighting Illini can show that they have completely moved on from their upset loss at the hands of the Michigan State Spartans a couple of weeks if they can take down the Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor this Tuesday. This is a heavyweight matchup that could serve as a preview for the Big Ten title game. Check out what we have to say about both teams below.

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Betting Preview for the Illinois Fighting Illini vs Michigan Wolverines NCAA College Basketball Game on March 2 2021

Where: Crisler Center, Ann Arbor, MI

When: Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 7:00 PM ET

Line: Illinois Fighting Illini (odds) vs. Michigan Wolverines (odds) – view all 2021 NCAAB lines

TV Broadcast: ESPN

Betting on the Illinois Fighting Illini (odds)

Record: 18-6 Overall / 14-4 Conference

No Ayo Dosunmo? No problem for the Fighting Illini last Saturday, as they scored a 74-69 road win over the Wisconsin Badgers without their stat-stuffing guard, who was sidelined in that game due to a broken nose. It remains uncertain, as of this writing, whether Dosunmo will be able to suit up this coming Tuesday against Michigan, but in the event that he gets ultimately ruled out, the Fighting Illini will ask a lot more from Kofi Cockburn. The Fighting Illini big man had 19 points and seven rebounds against Wisconsin, while Andre Cuberlo came off the bench and fired 17 points. Even without Dosunmo, the Fighting Illini managed to shoot 52.1 percent from the field, though they turned the ball over 20 times, their most in a game this season, so far. Trent Frazier scored only six points against Wisconsin, and he’s expected to do better in the next game, considering that he is third on the team this season with 10.4 points per contest. Illinois is 12th in the nation with 81.2 points per game on a 50.1 field goal percentage.

Illinois is 5-2 against the spread in its last seven road games.

Betting on the Michigan Wolverines (odds)

Record: 18-1 Overall / 13-1 Conference

Hunter Dickinson is ready for Kofi Cockburn. You can say as much after the Wolverines defeated the Indiana Hoosiers convincingly, 73-57, in Bloomington last Saturday. Dickinson handled Indiana’s Trace Jackson-Davis, arguably the best big man in the Big Ten, holding him down to just 10 points on an atrocious 3-of-12 shooting from the field. Prior to that game, Dickinson helped neutralize Iowa Hawkeyes’ scoring machine, Luka Garza in a win. Now comes the Cockburn challenge for Dickinson, but it’s really the entire Michigan team’s defense that Illinois will have to contend with. Michigan is fourth nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency with just 87.6 points allowed per 100 possessions and eighth with 0.985 points per possession allowed.  Cockburn should find it especially hard to score in this game, as Michigan owns the second-best defense inside the arc, where they are limiting opponents to only 41.3 percent shooting.

Michigan is 8-2 against the spread in its last 10 home games.

Writer’s Prediction

Michigan wins, 77-70.

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