Wisconsin Badgers (11-2) vs. Illinois Fighting Illini (9-5)
January 7, 2023 1:30 pm EDT
The Line: Illinois Fighting Illini -6.5 / Wisconsin Badgers +6.5; Over/Under: +132.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Wisconsin Badgers and Illinois Fighting Illini meet Saturday in college basketball action at the State Farm Center. The Wisconsin Badgers look for their 12th win. The Illinois Fighting Illini look for their 10th win.
The Wisconsin Badgers are averaging 68.5 points on 43.1 percent shooting and allowing 61.2 points on 41.9 percent shooting. Tyler Wahl is averaging 13.2 points and 6.4 rebounds, while Chucky Hepburn is averaging 12.2 points and 3.6 rebounds. Steven Crowl is the third double-digit scorer and Connor Essegian is grabbing 3.2 rebounds. The Wisconsin Badgers are shooting 38.2 percent from beyond the arc and 69.9 percent from the free throw line. The Wisconsin Badgers are allowing 30.4 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 30.5 rebounds per game.
The Illinois Fighting Illini are averaging 76.8 points on 46.1 percent shooting and allowing 64.4 points on 38.9 percent shooting. Terrence Shannon Jr. is averaging 17.1 points and 5.4 rebounds, while Dain Dainja is averaging 10.6 points and 5.7 rebounds. Matthew Mayer is the third double-digit scorer and Jayden Epps is grabbing 1.9 rebounds. The Illinois Fighting Illini are shooting 32.6 percent from beyond the arc and 65.6 percent from the free throw line. The Illinois Fighting Illini are allowing 33.1 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 36.4 rebounds per game.
The Badgers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 road games and 3-7 ATS in their last 10 Saturday games. The Fighting Illini are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 home games and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall. The over is 5-2 in Badgers last 7 overall. The under is 4-1 in Fighting Illini last 5 overall. The road team is 8-3 ATS in the last 11 meetings.
The Illinois Fighting Illini are the more talented team and should be favored, but this is a lot of points for a Wisconsin side. The Wisconsin Badgers are an above average defensive team, and they shoot the 3-ball at an impressive clip. Wisconsin has also shown it can win on the road, as it has wins over Marquette and Iowa. Give me the points with the Badgers.
