Illinois Fighting Illini at Northwestern Wildcats ATS Odds

betdsiArticles, Basketball, College Basketball

Big 10 foes will battle when the Northwestern Wildcats (4-3) take on the Illinois Fighting Illini (6-1) at Allstate Arena. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game opened at 146.5 points with Northwestern set as a 6-point favorite. Action begins at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, December 1, 2017.

Illinois Fighting Illini at Northwestern Wildcats ATS Preview

The Fighting Illini were beaten by the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in their last outing, 80-73. With 20 points on 6-for-10 shooting, Aaron Jordan was Illinois high scorer. Wake Forest did an excellent job of converting from the charity stripe (24-31; 77.4 percent). Illinois, meanwhile, had an offensive rebounding percentage of 44.7 (above their season average of 37.3). In the Wildcats last matchup, they were defeated by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 52-51. Bryant McIntosh was the games high scorer with 18 points on 8-for-18 shooting. Georgia Tech did a fantastic job of making free throws (16-20; 80.0 percent). Northwestern, meanwhile, had a turnover percentage of 9.1 (better than their season average of 16.7). From an effective field goal percentage perspective, Northwestern should have a substantial advantage. Since the 2016-17 season, the Wildcats defense ranks 54th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.472), while the Illinois offense ranks 166th in effective field goal percentage (0.511). , These two teams are complete opposites in terms of the O/U total. Games including Illinois have gone under 75.0 percent of the time, while 60.0 percent of Northwestern games have gone over. Looking at straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records, the Fighting Illini have a clear advantage. They are 6-1 SU and 2-2 ATS, while the Wildcats are 4-3 SU and 1-4 ATS. The Fighting Illini won both games against the Wildcats last season. In the most recent contest, Illinois won 66-50. The Fighting Illini played a perfect game. They had a great offensive rebounding percentage of 32.4 and a superb free throw rate of 0.291. The Wildcats were 18.4 and 0.179, respectively, for those same stats.

Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Northwestern Wildcats ATS Prediction

Predictions: SU Winner – Illinois, ATS Winner – Illinois, O/U – Under

Betting Notes (2016-Present):

  • Northwestern ranks 33rd in blocks per game (4.8) while Illinois ranks 249th (2.4).
  • The Fighting Illini rank 27th in assists allowed per game (11.2) while the Wildcats rank 99th (12.3).
  • Illinois ranks 189th in steals per game (5.9) while Northwestern ranks 254th (5.1).