The Iowa Hawkeyes (16-11) travel to face off against the Illinois Fighting Illini (19-7) on Saturday, February 24th. This game will be played at State Farm Center in Champaign and televised on BTN. Iowa is coming off a win in their previous game, while Illinois is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Penn State. Tip-off is set for 2:15 ET.
Iowa Hawkeyes vs Illinois Fighting Illini
The Iowa Hawkeyes Are Coming Off A Win
Despite being the underdog, Iowa has been the favorite in 15 of their 27 games this season, going 12-3 in those games. On the road, the Hawkeyes are 3-7 compared to 12-4 at home.
Iowa’s average scoring margin on the road is -6.5, and they are coming off a 78-71 win over Michigan State. Over their last 10 road games, the Hawkeyes have a record of 3-7.
As the underdog, Iowa has an ATS record of 4-7 this season and they are 10-16 overall vs. the spread. On the road, the Hawkeyes have gone 4-6 vs. the spread this year and they are 1-2 in their last three road games vs. the spread.
This season, the over/under record in Iowa games is 16-10 and today’s line of 167 is higher than the average OU line of 159.8. So far, 17 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 155 points and during their last 10 games, the average is 156 points. Currently, their OU record over their last 10 games is 4-6.
The Illinois Fighting Illini Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Illinois has been dominant at home this season, going 14-2 with an average scoring margin of +16.3 points per game. They come into this game on a four-game winning streak at home and have gone 9-1 in their last 10 games at home.
Overall, Illinois has gone 19-7 this season, including a 10-5 record in Big Ten games. They have been favored in 21 of their 26 games and have gone 17-4 in those games.
Illinois has an overall ATS record of 13-11-2 this season. At home, their ATS mark is 7-8-1. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Illini have gone 5-5 vs. the spread.
Today’s over/under line of 167 is higher than the average over/under line in Illinois’ games this year (147.5). Their over/under record this season is 18-8 and over their last three games, the average scoring total is 169 points. So far, 19 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s OU line.
Iowa Offense Breakdown
Compared to their season average of 83.4 points per game, Iowa struggled in their previous game. Against Michigan State, the Hawkeyes scored 78 points while finishing with a field goal percentage of 50.9%. In terms of offense, the Hawkeyes have a season-long field goal percentage of 47%, putting them 54th in the NCAA. Regarding three-pointers, they are ranked 248th in percentage and 291st in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Payton Sandfort (F) | 15.5 | 6.4 | 2.5 |
| Tony Perkins (G) | 15.2 | 4.3 | 4.2 |
| Ben Krikke (F) | 14.2 | 5.0 | 1.5 |
Illinois Offense Breakdown
In their recent matchup, the Illinois offense ended with 89 points against Penn State. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 47.7% and made 9 threes. The top scorer for the Fighting Illini was Terrence Shannon Jr. with 35 points, while Marcus Domask also chipped in with 15 points.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terrence Shannon Jr. (G) | 22.1 | 4.3 | 2.2 |
| Marcus Domask (F) | 15.5 | 4.7 | 3.5 |
| Coleman Hawkins (F) | 12.3 | 6.1 | 2.7 |
Iowa Team Defense
Looking at the Iowa defense, they will be looking for a better performance considering they are currently conceding 78.1 points per game (305th). In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Iowa’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 45.5% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 36.0% this season.
Illinois Team Defense
The Fighting Illini’s defense is presently ranked 163rd nationally, allowing an average of 71.5 points per contest. In their previous game vs. Penn State, the Nittany Lions finished with a field goal percentage of 53% and a total of 90 points vs. Illinois.
Hawkeyes vs Fighting Illini Trends
- Through their last ten road games, Iowa has an ATS record of just 4-6. However, their overall record was 3-7 while averaging 75 points per game.
- When looking at their past five home matchups, Illinois has an ATS record of 2-3 while averaging 86 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
- In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Hawkeyes have a straight up record of 1-2 and an ATS mark of 1-2.
- Through their last five games as the favorite, the Fighting Illini have an ATS record of 3-2 and a straight up mark of 4-1.
Hawkeyes vs Fighting Illini Prediction
When looking to get a point-spread pick down in this Fighting Illini vs. Fighting Illini game, our recommendation is to take the Fighting Illini at -9.5. Despite our model showing the Fighting Illini winning 74-70, we like Hawkeyes as our point-spread pick.
As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 167, and our model projects the Hawkeyes and Fighting Illini to reach a combined total of 144 points. Our bet is on taking 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.
Last updated:February 24, 2024 Illinois Fighting Illini, Iowa Hawkeyes