Indiana Illinois Basketball Odds
Posted by Jack Jones - Google+
Tweet
The No. 1 Indiana Hoosiers (20-2, 8-1 Big Ten) travel to face the Illinois Fighting Illini (15-8, 2-7 Big Ten) on Thursday, February 7th. This contest will be nationally televised on ESPN at 7:00 EST. If you are interested in wagering on this game, you will find a line of Indiana -7.5 over Illinois.
Why Indiana Covers
The Hoosiers have won five straight games to reclaim their spot atop the rankings after an 81-73 victory over then-No. 1 Michigan on Saturday. This team continues to play some of the best basketball in the country. They’ll be up against an Illini team that has really struggled in conference play.
Illinois is just 2-7 in Big Ten action this season. It has lost three straight and six of its last seven after a 68-74 home loss to Wisconsin on Saturday. The Illini are simply playing their way out of the NCAA Tournament as the wheels have completely fallen off.
The Illini are 7-20 against the spread in their last 27 vs. Big Ten opponents. Illinois is 0-4 against the spread in its last 4 home games. The Illini are 0-4 against the spread in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600. Indiana is 4-0 in true road games this season, outscoring opponents by 18.0 points per game.
Why Illinois Covers
The Illini realize they need to get things turned around in a hurry if they want to make the NCAA Tournament. Remember, this is the same team that started 12-0 with double-digit wins over Butler, Gonzaga and Ohio State, so they have proven they can beat some of the best teams in the country.
Indiana is clearly in a letdown spot after its huge win over No. 1 Michigan on Saturday. College Gameday was there, so the stage really doesn’t get any bigger than that. After getting patted on the back all week leading up to this game, the Hoosiers could easily come out flat Thursday night.
The home team has won four straight meetings in this series. Illinois has won five of its last seven meetings with Indiana. The home team is 4-1 against the spread in the last 5 meetings. The Hoosiers are 1-4 against the spread in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
