Alabama Crimson Tide vs Illinois Fighting Illini NCAAB Betting Prediction

Alabama Crimson Tide vs Illinois Prediction 11/20/2024

The Alabama Crimson Tide (3-1) travel to face off against the Illinois Fighting Illini (3-0) on Wednesday, November 20th. This game will be played at Legacy Arena at BJCC in Birmingham and televised on SECN. Illinois is coming off a win in their previous game, while Alabama is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Purdue. Tip-off is set for 9:00 ET.

Alabama Crimson Tide vs Illinois Fighting Illini

The Crimson Tide Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Alabama dropped to 2-1 this season after an 87-78 road loss to Purdue on Friday. The Crimson Tide entered the game as -3.5 point favorites but failed to cover the spread.

Alabama trailed 42-40 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap, scoring 38 points in the 2nd half while allowing 45. The game’s total points ended at 165, exactly matching the O/U line.

The Fighting Illini Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Illinois Fighting Illini Recent Game/Games

Illinois improved to 2-0 on the season with a 66-54 win over Oakland on Wednesday. The Illini were heavy favorites at -23.5, but they didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 120 fell well short of the O/U line of 150.

Illinois led 36-29 at halftime and continued to control the game in the 2nd half, outscoring Oakland 30-25.

Crimson Tide Offense Breakdown

Alabama put up 78 points in their latest game, shooting 44.4% from the field and posting an effective field goal percentage of 50.8%. They hit 31% from beyond the arc, connecting on 9 of 29 attempts, while shooting 55.9% on two-pointers. At the free-throw line, they were efficient, making 13 of 15 for 86.7%.

The Crimson Tide dished out 18 assists and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds. Trey Kaufman-Renn led the way with 26 points and 8 rebounds, shooting 12 of 23 from the field. Labaron Philon added 18 points on 7 of 10 shooting, hitting 3 of 4 from three-point range.

Fighting Illini Offense Breakdown

Illinois managed just 66 points in their latest game, shooting 41.8% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 47.3%, with struggles from beyond the arc, hitting only 28% on 7-of-25 shooting.

Tomislav Ivisic led the way with 20 points, shooting 64.3% overall, though he missed both of his three-point attempts. Jayson Woodrich had a tough night, shooting 26.7% from the field and 11.1% from three, connecting on just 1-of-9 attempts.

Crimson Tide Team Defense

Alabama’s defense struggled in their last game, giving up 87 points on 49% shooting from the field. They allowed 31 made baskets on 63 attempts, with the opposing team hitting 22 of their 47 two-point shots, good for 46%.

From beyond the arc, Alabama’s defense allowed 9 three-pointers on 16 attempts, a 56% shooting performance. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 25 times, where they converted 16 free throws, shooting 64%. Alabama gave up 10 offensive rebounds.

Fighting Illini Team Defense

Alabama’s defense struggled, giving up 87 points on 49% shooting from the field. They allowed 31 made field goals on 63 attempts.

From three-point range, Alabama allowed 9 threes on 16 attempts, a 56% shooting clip. They also sent the opposing team to the free-throw line 25 times, where they hit 16 free throws.

Crimson Tide vs Fighting Illini Trends

  • Across the Crimson Tide last ten road games, the team averaged 87 points per game while allowing 92. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 4-6, while going 4-6 straight-up.
  • When looking at their past five home matchups, Illinois has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 75 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
  • Illinois has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 2-1 SU and 2-1 ATS in their last three games.
  • Although the Crimson Tide have a strong straight up record in their last five games as the betting favorite, they have not done as well vs the spread going 2-3.

Crimson Tide vs Fighting Illini Prediction

The Fighting Illini come in as the underdog at +8, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 167.5 and our model has the Crimson Tide and Fighting Illini finishing with a combined 146 points. Our pick is to take the under.


All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!


* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.