Iowa Hawkeyes at Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Preview

The No. 19 Illinois Fighting Illini host the No. 7 Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday night in what should be one of the best college basketball games of the season. There is no love lost between these Big Ten rivals, and this game will help determine the regular-season champion of the league.

Iowa enters play with an overall record of 12-3 and is 6-2 so far in Big Ten Conference action. The Hawkeyes have spent a majority of the season in the top five in the national rankings and are considered a threat to win the national championship.

Illinois is just 6-3 so far in conference games, and the Fighting Illini have been slumping a bit of late. This team is also capable of going on a big run in the NCAA Tournament, but it has to prove it can win big games.

The Illinois Fighting Illini are two-point favorites in this game. 

Garza Powering Iowa Offense

Iowa center Luka Garza leads all players in Division I with 26.9 points per game. Garza is shooting better than 61 percent from the floor, and he is able to score in the paint and from the perimeter.

The Hawkeyes have four different players with at least 20 three-point makes this season, and they aren't afraid to shoot a ton of them. Iowa is scoring more than 90 points per game, and it wants to play extremely fast. 

Defense has been an issue for Iowa, and this team hasn't really bought in on that end of the floor. This could potentially be a problem against a solid offensive team like Illinois. 

Illinois Needs to Shoot Well

Illinois is shooting close to 40 percent from the three-point line this season, but it has been extremely streaky. If the Fighting Illini are going to win this game at home, then they must be shooting it well from deep.

Point guard Ayo Dosunmu leads the team with 21.7 points and 4.9 assists per game, and he is a legitimate All-American candidate. Center Kofi Cockburn is a double-double machine, and he needs to find a way to win the matchup with Garza.

Illinois is a much better defensive team than Iowa, and it will have to try to take control on that end of the floor. The Fighting Illini have been slumping of late, but this team can be dangerous when they are clicking on all cylinders. 

Iowa Upsets Illinois

This likely won't be the last time that Iowa and Illinois meet up this season, as this could be a preview of the Big Ten Tournament title game. This should be a tight game throughout, and it will likely come down to the final few minutes.

Iowa has the best player on the floor, and that gives it a big edge in late-game situations. Illinois just does not shoot the ball well enough to keep up with Iowa and pick up a big home win.

The Iowa Hawkeyes will head into Champaign and stun the Illinois Fighting Illini on Friday night. Bet the Hawkeyes' moneyline in this game.

For more Dunkel Index college basketball picks, go to our NCAA Basketball Picks Page.