Illinois Fighting Illini vs Michigan Wolverines Betting Pick & Prediction 1/18/24

Planning on watching today’s Fighting Illini and Wolverines game? Catch the action at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, MI, as the Wolverines hosts this showdown at 8:30 ET on FS1. The Fighting Illini are the favorites in this Big Ten conference matchup the against the Wolverines. The over/under for the game is set at 153 points.

ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI VS MICHIGAN WOLVERINES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Michigan Wolverines +2.5

This game will be played at Crisler Center at 8:30 ET on Thursday, January 18th.

WHY BET THE MICHIGAN WOLVERINES:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-68 in favor of the Wolverines.
• Not only will Michigan pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +2.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 153 points, and we like the under with a projected 143 points.

Can Illinois Live Up to the Hype on the Road?

Illinois comes into this game as the favorite, as they have been in 12 of their 16 games this season. So far, they have gone 10-2 in those games. On the road, the Fighting Illini are 2-2 this season, and their average scoring margin in those games is +7.5.

Overall, Illinois is 12-4 this season, including a 3-2 record in Big Ten play. In their last game, they lost to Maryland by a score of 76-67. Over their last 10 games on the road, they have gone just 2-8.

Illinois has an overall ATS record of 8-6-2 this season. On the road, they are 3-0-1 vs. the spread. As the favorite, the Fighting Illini are 5-6-1 vs. the spread this year. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, Illinois has gone 5-4-1.

This season, the over/under record in Illinois games is 9-7 and today’s line of 153 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (146.5). Over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 and the average scoring total in those games is 147 points.

In their recent matchup, the Illinois offense ended with 67 points against Maryland. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 32.8% and made 6 threes. Leading the team in scoring was Marcus Domask with 26 points. Luke Goode also added 13 points for the Fighting Illini.

Coming into today’s game, the Illinois defense is giving up an average of 67.4 points per contest. In their previous game vs. Maryland, the Terrapins finished with a field goal percentage of 32% and a total of 76 points vs. Illinois.

Can Michigan Lock in a Home Win?

Michigan is coming off a 73-65 win over Ohio State, and they are 7-10 overall this season. They are just 4-7 at home, and their average scoring margin at home is +2.8 points per game.

So far, the Wolverines have been the underdog in six games, and they are 2-4 in those games. They are currently 2-4 in Big Ten play, and they have gone 5-6 in non-conference action.

Michigan has struggled against the spread this season, going just 5-11. Their home ATS mark is 3-8 and they have gone just 1-8 vs. the spread in their last 10 home games. As the underdog, the Wolverines have gone 2-4 vs. the spread this year.

This season, the over/under record for Michigan games is 10-6 with their matchups averaging 156.4 points per game. Today’s over/under line of 153 is similar to their average over/under line of 149.6. So far, their games have finished with more points than today’s OU line in seven of their 17 contests. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 0-3 with an average scoring total of 136 points.

Against Ohio State, the Michigan had a tough time putting up points compared to their season average of 79.7 points per game. They scored 73 points and posted a field goal percentage of 42.2% in the game. In terms of offense, the Wolverines have a season-long field goal percentage of 47%, putting them 87th in the NCAA. Regarding three-pointers, they are ranked 59th in percentage and 48th in three-pointers made.

Facing Illinois, Michigan aims for a better defensive performance, given their current average of 77.0 points allowed per game (256th). Michigan’s three-point defense is currently 132nd in the country at 7.2 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 44.3% of their shots vs. Michigan.