College Basketball Picks Today Feature Illini Covering the Spread vs Wolverines
The Illinois Fighting Illini take their No. 14 national ranking on the road to face the Michigan Wolverines. Illinois checks in as a 3-point favorite against a Michigan team that snapped a five-game slide in its last outing.
Illinois vs Michigan Game Information
- Game: Illinois (12-4, 3-2) at Michigan (7-10, 2-4)
- Date/Time: Jan. 18, 8:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Crisler Center, Ann Arbor, Mich.
- Illinois vs Michigan Live Stream: TBS.com
Illinois is fresh off a tough loss against Maryland at home while narrowly beating Michigan State in the game prior to that. While they’ve had a few ups and downs at times, this is a team that’s proven to be far more consistent and well-rounded than Michigan, which has lost five of its last six. The Wolverines pulled out a victory against Ohio State on Jan. 15 with a late surge to get back in the win column. We’ll break down this matchup and explain why Illinois is the play here.
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Illinois vs Michigan Odds and Spread
Illinois vs Michigan Betting Trends
- Michigan is 1-4 ATS in its last four games.
- The under has hit in four consecutive Michigan games.
- Illinois is 3-2 ATS in its last five games.
- The over has hit in four of the last five Illinois games.
- Illinois is 4-0 ATS on the road this season.
- Michigan is 3-7 ATS at home this season.
- Michigan is 6-11 ATS this year.
- Illinois is 10-5-1 ATS this year.
Take Under 153½ in Illinois vs Michigan
While Illinois and Michigan average roughly 80 points per game (81.7 for Illinois and 79.7 for Michigan), the total here is simply too high to put much stock in. Illinois has only been involved in games with more than 153½ in six of its matchups this season, while nine of Michigan’s 17 have cleared this number. It’s not my favorite play of the day here, but I’ll lean toward taking the under at the BetUS sportsbook.
Illinois to Cover -3 vs. Michigan
Michigan picked up a strong win over Ohio State with a late second-half surge in its last game to end its slide. And while Illinois has gone 1-2 in its last three games, one of those losses came against an elite Purdue team. This matchup is a brutal one for Michigan, even on its home floor. I don’t think the Wolverines replicate the success they found against the Buckeyes, who made 3-of-25 attempts from beyond the arc. Illinois covers the 3 point spread in the college basketball lines.
Not the Worst Spot for Illinois Moneyline at -145
Although I’d prefer to take Illinois at -3, taking the Fighting Illini on the moneyline isn’t a bad college basketball bet for Jan. 18. Eating the odds at -145 isn’t ideal, but it’s the “safe” play overall, even though I see Illinois winning this game by close to double-digits.
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Illinois vs Michigan Prediction
Illinois Fighting Illini 77, Michigan Wolverines 68
Questions Of The Day
Can Illinois effectively limit Michigan’s 3-point shooting?
Perhaps not, but it shouldn’t matter. While 3-point shooting fueled Michigan’s recent victory over Ohio State, a repeat performance from beyond the arc won’t be enough against Illinois.
