Purdue vs. Illinois NCAA Basketball Picks and Odds Analysis (Archive)
Only two top 25 teams are on Monday’s NCAA basketball betting schedule, and they just so happen to be matched up against one another in a key Big Ten battle between the Purdue Boilermakers and Illinois Fighting Illini.
Purdue Boilermakers vs. Illinois Fighting Illini
Monday, January 17, 2022 – 12:00 PM EST at State Farm Center
Following a weekend during which eight ranked teams went down in defeat on Saturday alone, the Purdue and Illinois matchup is guaranteed to add a loss to yet another top 25 team. Updated rankings will be out about the time the Boilermakers and Fighting Illini tip on the big Fox in this lunchtime tilt.
Purdue was ranked 7/5 by the AP and coaches a week ago and won its only contest, while Illinois had just climbed back into the two polls at 25/24. The Fighting Illini came out on the good end of the NCAAB scores in both of their games last week to keep a perfect conference record going at 6-0, and the Boilermakers are 2½-games back in sixth with a 3-2 mark.
Boilermakers Fail to Cover Both B1G Road Tilts
One layup is all that separates these two teams at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review) where the Fighting Illini are favored by 2. Both teams have been solid ‘over’ plays this season, going a combined 20-11-1 O/U/P, and Monday’s total is a nice round number at 150.
Though it might seem early for a serious discussion about seeding in the Big Ten Tournament, the topic is relevant for Matt Painter’s bunch. Purdue would like to gain a game on front-running Illinois with a win, but even more important is the victory that would result in moving into a 4th-place tie with Ohio State and Rutgers, and the top 4 teams in the conference earn a double-bye in the tournament.
Purdue was part of our college basketball picks lineup last Friday when the Boilermakers routed Nebraska in a 92-65 laugher. They never trailed and started proceedings with a 23-4 gap on the scoreboard. The Cornhuskers looked lost the entire evening and weren’t able to get it inside the number even against Painter’s backups.
As expected, the Boilermakers dominated Nebraska on the glass and shot nearly 50% overall as Zach Edey led the way with 22 points. The one area that wasn’t so great was shooting 9-of-29 from 3-point range, well behind the 40.1% season clip that ranks fifth in the country.
Illini 5-1 ATS in League Play
It wasn’t nearly as easy a time against Nebraska for Brad Underwood’s troops when they traveled to Lincoln to meet the Cornhuskers earlier last week. The Fighting Illini were favored by 12½ and had their hands full with the game knotted at 65-apiece and only four minutes remaining. That’s when Illinois finally took charge to close on a 16-6 run and win it 81-71.
That was followed up by a visit on Friday night from Michigan, and Illinois shook off some poor shooting in the first half to grab the 68-53 decision. The Fighting Illini were favored by 10 at home against the Wolverines who are really struggling after being the preseason favorite in the NCAA futures odds before the season began.
Kofi Cockburn has been a huge – literally and figuratively – factor in why Illinois brings a 6-game win streak into Monday’s tilt. The 7-foot junior has a streak of his own going with nine consecutive double-doubles, the Fighting Illini covering the college basketball odds in seven of those affairs.
Monday Matchup Is No. 193 in Rivalry
The rivalry has run in streaks and is a close series overall with Purdue winning 102 and Illinois coming out on top 90 times. The Fighting Illini bring a 3-game win streak into this meeting, the first of two between the clubs this season with the rematch in West Lafayette a little more than three weeks from now. Three of the last four clashes fell short of the totals at the top-rated sportsbooks.
That was the case in the lone meeting a season ago when the 66-58 Illinois triumph came up a full two dozen points short of the scoreboard target. The final margin pushed an 8-point spread on the Fighting Illini who had covered three of the previous four. Monday’s match marks the first time since February 2008 that both teams meet as ranked squads.
These are two of the top rebounding teams in the nation, so how the refs monitor the pushing and shoving under the basket is something to watch early on. Put me down for soup and a sandwich for my lunch while watching the Boilermakers and Fighting Illini, and put me down for a play on the home team.
NCAAB Pick: Illinois -2 (-110) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.