Fighting Illini vs. Wolverines Prediction
The Michigan Wolverines have dropped three games in a row and have a tough contest on the docket this afternoon as they host the 21st-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini. Can Michigan get it done as the favorites in this matchup?
Game Snapshot
609 Illinois Fighting Illini at 610 Michigan Wolverines
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Crisler Arena at 12PM ET
TV: FS1
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According to oddsmakers, the Wolverines are a 3.5-point favorite on the spread line. The total is set at 140 points. As of Saturday morning, 65 percent of public bets are siding with host U-M. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for the latest info.
Illini win fifth straight
Illinois secured a 79-62 victory Tuesday night at Purdue to improve to 14-5 overall and 6-2 in the Big Ten Conference. The Fighting Illini outscored the Boilermakers 50-32 in the second half after trailing by one at the break. Kofi Cockburn paced Illinois with 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting plus 6-of-6 at the free throw line. He also racked up 15 rebounds and three blocked shots. Trent Frazier tallied 21 points in 34 minutes of action. Ayo Dosunmu accounted for 18 points, 11 assists and four boards. Giorgi Bezhanishvili added 10 points and five caroms.
Wolverines falter against Nittany Lions
Michigan fell by a count of 72-63 at home Wednesday night to drop to 11-7 overall and 2-5 in conference action. The Wolverines trailed 37-28 at halftime and were unable to recover. Zavier Simpson paced U-M with 18 points on 8-of-23 shooting including 2-of-7 at the charity stripe. He also recorded six rebounds and six assists. Brandon Johns Jr. accounted for 14 points and seven boards. Eli Brooks added 12 points, four caroms and three assists.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Illinois
The Fighting Illini are 0-3-1 ATS in their last four Saturday games. The road team is 11-27-1 ATS in the last 39 meetings.
Michigan
The Wolverines are 0-4-1 ATS in their last five games overall. Michigan is 0-5 ATS in its last five games as an underdog.
Prediction:
The Wolverines are in a rut and have one less day of preparation for this contest. While the rule can often be take the unranked team when favored over a ranked opponent, I’d rather side with streaking Illinois here as it is playing with a ton of confidence. Michigan is still missing its best player in Isaiah Livers and it has clearly been a huge factor in the downslide over the last month. The Fighting Illini already have straight up wins at Wisconsin and Purdue this month. Expect another strong performance today.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL DAILY PREDICTION: ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI +3.5