Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Iowa Hawkeyes, 2/2/20 Prediction & Odds

Fighting Illini vs. Hawkeyes Prediction

A pair of top 25 teams will do battle in the Big 10 Conference this afternoon as the 18th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes host the Illinois Fighting Illini. Will Iowa protect its home floor and cover the number?

Game Snapshot

843 Illinois Fighting Illini at 844 Iowa Hawkeyes

Sunday, February 2, 2020

Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 1PM ET

TV: FS1

Compare odds from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our NCAA Basketball Odds & Betting Page

 

Public Betting Information

According to oddsmakers, the Hawkeyes are a 4.5-point favorite on the spread line. The over-under is set at 146.5 points. As of Sunday morning, 65 percent of public bets are being placed on host Iowa. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for the latest info.

Fighting Illini stifle Golden Gophers

Illinois secured a 59-51 home victory Thursday night over Minnesota to improve to 16-5 overall and 8-2 in conference play. The Fighting Illini outscored the Golden Gophers 34-30 in the second half to put it away. Andres Feliz paced Illinois with 17 points off the bench on 6-of-11 shooting plus 5-of-5 at the free throw line. He also registered eight rebounds and three assists. Kofi Cockburn accounted for 13 points, 10 boards and two steals. Ayo Dosunmu tallied 13 points, two caroms and two assists. Trent Frazier added 10 points in 29 minutes of action.

Hawkeyes' five-game win streak snapped

Iowa lost by a score of 82-72 Thursday night at Maryland to fall to 15-6 overall and 6-4 in conference action. The Hawkeyes were outscored 46-40 in the losing effort. Luka Garza led Iowa with 21 points on 9-of-19 shooting including 2-of-5 from 3-point range plus 1-of-2 at the charity stripe. He also recorded four rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots. Joe Wieskamp accumulated 17 points, six boards and three steals. C.J. Fredrick added 12 points and two caroms.

College Basketball Betting Trends

Illinois

The Fighting Illini are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games overall. Illinois is 5-2-1 ATS in its last eight games following an ATS win.

Iowa

The Hawkeyes are 8-1-2 ATS in their last 11 home games. Iowa is 7-0 ATS in its last seven games following an ATS loss.

Prediction:

Iowa has been fantastic on its home floor this season, dropping its first game at Carver-Hawkeye back on Nov. 11 by a 93-78 score to DePaul but winning the nine games since. With an early start time and the fact they are coming off a defeat following a nice winning streak, I like the Hawkeyes to bounce back here. Iowa has the fourth-rated offensive in the nation in terms of adjusted efficiency and while the Fighting Illini have enjoyed solid all-around play during their current seven-game winning streak, they have not faced an offensive juggernaut during the stretch. I expect Iowa to make enough key plays in crunch time to get it done.

 

COLLEGE BASKETBALL DAILY PREDICTION: IOWA HAWKEYES -4.5