Illinois Fighting Illini at Indiana Hoosiers Betting Preview/Prop Pick

There are a number of terrific college basketball games set to be played on Saturday, including a huge game in the Big Ten. The Indiana Hoosiers are set to host the Illinois Fighting Illini, and this is one of the best rivalries in the league as well.

Illinois currently leads the Big Ten with a conference record of 9-2, and they just picked up a huge win over the Wisconsin Badgers Wednesday night. The Fighting Illini are 16-5 overall and have the talent to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament next month. 

Indiana is also 16-5 on the season, and they are right in the thick of the conference title race as well. The Hoosiers have won four of their last five games and could jump into the AP Top 25 with a big win over the Illini.

The Indiana Hoosiers are slim 1.5-point betting favorites in this huge Big Ten Conference rivalry game on Saturday. 

Cockburn Can’t Be Stopped

Illinois All-American center Kofi Cockburn is a dominant force, and he just poured in 37 points in the win over Wisconsin earlier this week. Cockburn is nearly impossible to stop when he gets the ball around the basket, and Indiana will have to throw some extra defenders his way. 

Surrounding Cockburn are a number of terrific three-point shooters, including Alfonso Plummer and Trent Frazier. Plummer has scored over 15 points per game this season, and he is capable of taking over a game when necessary. 

Illinois has battled injuries and adversity all season long, but this team knows how to get stops when it needs to. The Fighting Illini are allowing just 66 points per game, with Cockburn anchoring that defense. 

Hoosiers Have to Defend

If the Hoosiers are going to win this game, then they will have to get it done on the strength of that defense. Indiana is holding opponents to just 63 points per game, and they are the best in the Big Ten in that area. 

Trayce Jackson-Davis leads the Hoosiers with 18.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, and he will have to go head-to-head with Cockburn. Indiana doesn’t always shoot the ball extremely well, and they have to find some interior scoring at some point.

The Hoosiers have a big advantage of playing this game at Assembly Hall, and the home crowd will be ready for this matchup with Illinois. 

Hoosiers Hold Off Illini

Home court advantage is a real thing in the Big Ten Conference, and that is going to play a pretty important role in this game. Illinois looks like the best team in this league, but there are still going to be upsets that happen each weekend.

Indiana has been great on the defensive end of the floor all season, and that defense will play a key role in this matchup. Look for the Hoosiers to find a way to slow down everyone besides Cockburn, and that will allow them to pick up a monster win. 

Take the Indiana Hoosiers -1.5 and the UNDER against the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday in this huge Big Ten Conference showdown.

Prop Pick

Illinois (-120) UNDER 68.5 Points

Indiana is allowing 63.0 points per game on defense, which ranks No. 38 in the nation. That average drops to 58.6 points per game at home. Scores have gone UNDER in 20 of Indiana’s last 27 home games versus a team with a winning road record (Illinois is 4-2 on the road).

With Dunkel predicting an Indiana win by the score of 69-64, take the Fighting Illini (-120) to go UNDER their Vegas team total of 68.5 points against the Hoosiers.

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