The top two teams in the Big Ten in the forms of the Wisconsin Badgers and the Illinois Fighting Illini are on a collision course. They face off with each other this coming Wednesday in Champaign. Check out our preview below of this Big Ten college basketball Wisconsin-Illinois showdown.
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Betting Preview for the Wisconsin Badgers vs Illinois Fighting Illini NCAA College Basketball Game on February 2 2022
Where: State Farm Center, Champaign, IL
When: Wednesday, February 2, 2022, 9:00 PM ET
Line: Wisconsin Badgers (odds) vs. Illinois Fighting Illini (odds) – view all 2022 NCAAB lines
TV Broadcast: CBS
Betting on the Wisconsin Badgers (odds)
Record: 17-3 Overall/8-2 Conference
Wisconsin picked up its second win in a row since a loss to the Michigan State Spartans in East LansingMadison on Jan. 21. After defeating the Nebraska Cornhuskers on the road in the succeeding game, 73-65, the Badgers defeated the Minnesota Golden Gophers last Sunday at home, 66-60. Sophomore forward Johnny Davis put up a tremendous effort in that game, as he finished with a double-double of 16 points and 15 rebounds, while junior big man Tyler Wahl chipped in 15 points. Wisconsin came up big as well on the offensive glass, as the Badgers had a 13-2 advantage over Minnesota. That’s an effort the Badgers would love to have again against Kofi Cockburn and the Fighting Illini for them to be able to better control the pace. The Badgers are 201st in the nation in adjusted tempo. They are also fantastic in taking care of the leather, ranking tops in the nation with just a 12.5 turnover rate.
Wisconsin is 4-2 against the spread this season as the road team.
Betting on the Illinois Fighting Illini (odds)
Record: 15-5 Overall/8-2 Conference
After back-to-back losses to the Purdue Boilermakers and the Maryland Terrapins, the Fighting Illini have now seemingly recovered. Illinois towered over the Michigan State Spartans on Jan. 25 to the tune of a 56-55 score then defeated the Northwestern Wildcats, 59-56, on the road last Saturday. Cockburn threw his weight around in the Northwestern game and finished with 22 points and nine rebounds in 30 minutes. Expect Cockburn to do a lot of heavy lifting against Wisconsin. He has been a force in the shaded area on both ends of the floor this season in which he is averaging 21.1 points per game on 58.9 percent shooting from the field. Cockburn and the Fighting Illini play slow just like Wisconsin, as they are 220st in the nation in adjusted tempo, in part because Illinois is so good in ruling the offensive glass- – eighth in the nation with a 36.8 offensive rebounding rate.
The under is 2-0 in Illinois’ last two games overall.
Writer’s Prediction
Illinois wins, 73-69.
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