Alabama Crimson Tide vs Illinois Fighting Illini NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/20/24

The Crimson Tide and Fighting Illini are set to face off at 9:00 ET on SECN. The Fighting Illini will host the game at Legacy Arena at BJCC in Birmingham, AL. In this non-conference matchup, Alabama is favored by -8 against Illinois. The over/under for the game is 167.5 points.

ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE VS ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI BETTING PICK

The Pick: Illinois Fighting Illini +8

This game will be played at Legacy Arena at BJCC at 9:00 ET on Wednesday, November 20th.

WHY BET THE ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 79-67 in favor of the Fighting Illini.
• Not only will Illinois pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +8.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 167.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 146 points.

Will the Crimson Tide Defense Show Up in Birmingham?

Alabama’s season hit a bump with an 87-78 loss to Purdue on Friday. The Crimson Tide went into the game as -3.5 favorites but couldn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game landed right on the O/U line of 165, resulting in a push.

Alabama trailed 42-40 at halftime and couldn’t turn things around in the 2nd half, where they were outscored 45-38.

Alabama scored 78 points in their last game, shooting 44.4% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 50.8%. They hit 55.9% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 31% of their threes (9/29). At the free-throw line, they were efficient, making 13 of 15 attempts (86.7%).

Trey Kaufman-Renn led the way with 26 points and 8 rebounds, shooting 52.2% from the field. Labaron Philon added 18 points, hitting 3 of 4 threes, while Braden Smith contributed 17 points and 10 assists, despite going 0 for 4 from deep. Fletcher Loyer also chipped in 17 points, making 3 of 5 three-point attempts.

Alabama’s defense struggled, giving up 87 points on 49% shooting from the field. They allowed 31 made baskets on 63 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Alabama’s defense allowed 9 threes on 16 attempts, a 56% shooting rate. They also sent the opposing team to the line 25 times, where they made 16 free throws.

No Pressure for Illinois as Home Dogs

Illinois Fighting Illini Recent Game/Games

Illinois picked up a 66-54 win over Oakland on Wednesday, November 13th. The Illini were at home and entered the game as heavy favorites, with a -23.5 point spread.

Illinois led 36-29 at halftime and outscored Oakland 30-25 in the 2nd half. The total points for the game were 120, falling well short of the 150-point O/U line.

Illinois managed just 66 points in their latest game, shooting 41.8% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 47.3%. Their three-point shooting was a struggle, hitting only 28% (7/25), while they were more efficient inside, connecting on 53.3% of their two-point attempts.

Tomislav Ivisic led the way with 20 points, shooting 64.3% from the floor, though he missed both of his three-point attempts. Jayson Woodrich had a tough night, shooting 26.7% overall and 11.1% from deep, hitting just 1 of 9 three-point attempts.

Illinois put the clamps on defensively, holding their opponent to just 54 points on 41% shooting from the field. They were able to limit damage from beyond the arc, where the opposition shot just 28%, hitting 7 of their 25 three-point attempts.

From the free-throw line, Illinois sent their opponent to the stripe 17 times, where they converted 13 attempts for 76%. The Illini also gave up 12 offensive rebounds in the game.