Michigan State Spartans at Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Preview/Prop Pick

College basketball continues to heat up, and we’ve got a great game set up for today. The Michigan State Spartans, No.10 in the nation, face the Illinois Fighting Illini tonight. Michigan State recently claimed a win over the No.8 Wisconsin Badgers.

Now, they set their sights on another Big Ten team in an effort to control the conference. Can they snag a win on the road?

The Illinois Fighting Illini are doing what they can to prevent MSU from getting too far ahead. However, they rank 24th in the nation and have lost two straight games. To get their season back on track, they’ll need to get a win against the Spartans.

The good news for them is that Illinois has an 8-2 record at home. The real question is, who’s the best bet against the spread?

Michigan State Spartans: Still undefeated on the road

It’s rare for a team to be as good on the road as the Spartans are. This season, Michigan State is 4-0 on the road and has a great record against Illinois. Their offense, however, is 94th in the nation, averaging 75.33 points per game.

Compared to Illinois, whose offense ranks 30th in the nation, Michigan State could be in trouble. They’ll need to focus on stopping Kofi Cockburn.

The Spartans defense is actually pretty good, allowing an average of just 66.11 points per game. This defense is going to be required to protect the paint from Kofi Cockburn.

Cockburn averages 21.1 points per game; if the Spartans can’t shut him down, this game will stay close. Considering they come in as an underdog already, the Spartans will need to find ways to even the odds.

Illinois Fighting Illini: Favorites, even after two straight losses

It might seem strange that the Fighting Illini are favored here, especially taking ranking into consideration. It also doesn’t help that Illinois could be potentially missing Kofi Cockburn, who suffered a concussion in their last game.

Keep in mind that Cockburn hasn’t been ruled out, so we’re under the assumption he’s playing. So, can Illinois actually cover the 5.5-point spread?

Well, they definitely have the offensive ability to cover the spread. On average, Illinois puts up 79.33 points per game, in the top fifty of the nation. They have incredible three-point shooting as well, going 37.61% from the three-point line.

Stretching the floor against the Spartans will be important. The Spartans are great shooters as well; Illinois will need to match the intensity.

Our pick for the Michigan State Spartans at Illinois Fighting Illini

The Spartans might be undefeated on the road, but we think the buck stops here. Illinois has the ability to stretch the floor and has one of the better centers in college basketball.

They’re also 6-4 against the spread at home, bringing us a little more confidence. They’re on a losing streak, which also stresses the importance of this game.

The Michigan State Spartans have been awful against the spread recently, going 2-4 in their last six. Although they’re getting +5.5 points in this game, we have to go with Illinois. Over their last twenty meetings at home against Michigan State, the Fighting Illini are 14-6 ATS.

Take Illinois to win the game and cover the spread, with the total going over.

DunkelIndex Free Pick: Illinois Fighting Illini -5.5, OVER

Prop Pick

Illinois (-115) OVER 74.5 Points

The Fighting Illini are averaging 79.3 points per game on offense, which ranks No. 15 in the nation. That average increases to 84.2 points per game at home, which ranks No. 18. Scores have gone OVER in 11 in Illnois’ last 14 games overall and seven of its last nine home games.

With Dunkel predicting an Illinois win by the score of 78-71, take the Fighting Illini (-115) to finish OVER their Vegas team total of 74.5 points against Michigan State.

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