Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Preview

The Big Ten Championship Game will take place on Sunday afternoon, and it will be the best college basketball game of the day. The Ohio State Buckeyes are set to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini for the right to win the best conference in the country.

Ohio State has pulled off a pair of upsets en route to the Big Ten Championship Game, including a close win over the Michigan Wolverines. The Buckeyes entered this tournament on a four-game losing streak, but they have once again found their rhythm.

Illinois is the number two seed in the tournament, and they have been absolutely dominant in their first two wins. The Fighting Illini will be a number 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and this team has plenty of momentum. 

The Illinois Fighting Illini are six-point favorites over the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Buckeyes Want to Grind it Out

The Ohio State Buckeyes are without Kyle Young in this game after the forward suffered a concussion on Friday. Ohio State is already not a very deep team, and they will look to grind this game out against the explosive Illini.

Ohio State is scoring 77 points per game this season while holding opponents to just 70 points per game. The Buckeyes have been playing much slower in the Big Ten Tournament, but they will also have to make some shots at some point.

Forward E.J. Liddell is averaging a team-high 16.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, and he has played really well against Illinois this season. Duane Washington Jr. has chipped in with 15 points per game, and he has the ability to take over a game.

Explosive Illini Playing Fast

Illinois comes into this game averaging 81 points per game, and they want to push the tempo on Sunday. The Fighting Illini can also be a very disruptive and dominant defensive team, allowing just 68 points per game.

All-American Ayo Dosunmu leads the way for the Fighting Illini, scoring 20.9 points and 5.4 assists per game. Freshman Andre Curbelo gives the Illini a spark off the bench, and he played a key role in the Illini win over Iowa.

The best player in the Big Ten Tournament so far has been center Kofi Cockburn. Cockburn had 26 points in the conference semifinals, and he should have another dominant game against the Buckeyes.

Illinois Win Big Ten Title

Even though both teams have to be playing well to reach the Big Ten Championship Game, the Fighting Illini are on a whole other level. Illinois felt slighted by not winning the regular-season crown, and they have been playing with a chip on their shoulder in this tournament.

Ohio State will do their best to slow down the Fighting Illini on Sunday afternoon, but they just don’t have the talent to keep up. The Buckeyes will make things interesting for much of the game, but Illinois takes control of this one late.

Illinois is a team that will head into the NCAA Tournament with a ton of momentum, and they will pick up a Big Ten Championship on Sunday in convincing fashion. Bet the Illinois Fighting Illini -6.0 over the Ohio State Buckeyes.

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