Illinois vs Minnesota prediction, pick, college basketball odds
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It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an Illinois-Minnesota prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Illinois-Minnesota.
This is one of the more fascinating games you will find on a huge college basketball Saturday. A month ago, the conversation surrounding Illinois was how high the Illini’s NCAA Tournament seed was going to be. Remember: This school reached the Elite Eight last year. Coach Brad Underwood has done a very good job with the Illini, and in early January, Illinois was rolling after crushing Oregon by 32 points on the road and beating Penn State by 39 at home. The Illini seemed to be in the running for both the Big Ten regular-season championship and a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Then all the wheels came off. Illinois has been bludgeoned over the past three weeks, losing several games to fall to 7-6 in the Big Ten and 15-8 overall. Illinois has to bounce back here against Minnesota to regain the belief that its season can still become special.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are a very interesting team in the Big Ten right now. Minnesota is close to the .500 mark in a tough Big Ten Conference. Dawson Garcia is one of the better scorers in both the Big Ten and on a national level. The Gophers recently defeated Michigan, Oregon, Iowa, and Penn State to stabilize their season and avoid falling to the very bottom of the Big Ten. Minnesota has been a very resilient team in recent weeks. The Gophers played poorly in a home-court loss to Washington last weekend, but then they bounced back by winning on the road at Penn State.
Here are the Illinois-Minnesota College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Illinois-Minnesota Odds
Illinois: -7.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -315
Minnesota: +7.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +250
Over: 144.5 (-110)
Under: 144.5 (-110)
How to Watch Illinois vs Minnesota
Time: 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
TV: Big Ten Network
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Illinois Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Illini badly need this game. You are going to see Illinois play with real desperation and passion. This team has fallen hard and swiftly, and everyone in that locker room is wounded and humiliated about the team’s downward spiral over the past several weeks. Illinois has been a good, NCAA Tournament-quality program over the past several years. You are going to see guys play with pride and purpose, and that will be enough to lift the Illini past a Minnesota team which is a tough out, but also lacks high-end talent at all five spots on the floor. Dawson Garcia is great, but the supporting cast isn’t good enough.
Why Minnesota Will Cover The Spread/Win
Minnesota is at home. It is facing an opponent going through a rough time. Illinois is not in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament, but the Illini have played their way into a mid-level seed, around the 7-9 range, which means Illinois might have to play a No. 1 seed in the second round of March Madness. That’s not what this team had in mind at all. It would be a terrible outcome if the Illini did wind up falling in that seed range. The goal is to play back to a 5 or 6 seed and maintain a good chance of making the Sweet 16, getting to the second weekend of the Big Dance. However, given the way Illinois is playing, that goal is becoming less attainable. Minnesota is getting several points against a struggling opponent? The spread should be smaller.
Final Illinois-Minnesota Prediction & Pick
Minnesota is playing better than Illinois right now and is at home. Take Minnesota.
Final Illinois-Minnesota Prediction & Pick: Minnesota +7.5
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