Wisconsin Badgers at Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Preview

Two of the top teams in the Big Ten Conference are set to square off on Saturday morning as the Illinois Fighting Illini host the Wisconsin Badgers. Both teams are looking up at the Michigan Wolverines in the standing, but a win would keep each team in the race.

Wisconsin comes into this game with a record of 8-4 in Big Ten Conference games, but the Badgers have struggled a bit of late. The Badgers have gone just 2-2 in their last four games, and this will be an extremely tough matchup on the road.

Illinois has now won three straight games, and they will bring a ton of momentum into this showdown. The Fighting Illini are 8-3 so far in conference action and are starting to look like a Final Four contender.

The Illinois Fighting Illini are listed as 4.5-point favorites over the Wisconsin Badgers. 

Wisconsin Winning WIth Defense

The Wisconsin Badgers are one of the best defensive teams in the league, and they have been using that defense to win games of late. Wisconsin is holding opponents to just 62.5 points per game, but they will face an explosive offense on Saturday morning. Making sure this contest will be an intense tug of war between two different playstyle focuses. 

D’Mitrik Trice (13.3 ppg) and Micah Potter (12.3 ppg) are the only two Badgers scoring in double-figures, but this team has some other offensive weapons as well. Wisconsin moves the ball really well on offense, and they very rarely turn it over.

Three-point shooting has been a bit of a concern of late for Wisconsin, even though the team is shooting better than 37 points per game. The Badgers must find a way to make shots on Saturday, or they could be in for a long day. 

Fighting Illini Feature Dynamic Duo

Illinois is led by Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn, and both players are potential 1st Team All-Big Ten performers this season. Dosunmu is one of the best guards in the country, and Cockburn is an absolute force in the paint.

The Fighting Illini are scoring better than 82 points per game, and they have the ability to light up the scoreboard in a hurry. Illinois does allow nearly 70 points per game, but it’s not easy scoring in the paint against this team.

Illinois has also been getting great play from senior Trent Frazier, and he is a terrific three-point shooter. If Dosunmu and Frazier are able to combine for close to 40 points on offense, then it will spell disaster for the Badgers. 

Illini Impressive in Win

Illinois is starting to find their groove, and they should put together another strong performance in this game. Wisconsin is a much better team at home, and playing Illinois on the road presents a real challenge.

The Badgers want to keep this game in the 60s, but Illinois is just too good offensively to let that happen. The Fighting Illini will take control of this game on the offensive end of the floor as they cruise to victory.

Bet the Illinois Fighting Illini -4.5 over the Wisconsin Badgers.

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