Chicago State Cougars vs Illinois Fighting Illini NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/29/24

Don’t miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Cougars and Fighting Illini. The game is starting at 2:00 ET on BTN, and it’s hosted by the Fighting Illini at State Farm Center in Champaign, IL. Get ready to place your bets! This non-conference matchup has an over/under of 150.5 points, and Illinois is favored by -38.5 vs. Chicago State.

CHICAGO STATE COUGARS VS ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI BETTING PICK

The Pick: Chicago State Cougars +38.5

This game will be played at State Farm Center at 2:00 ET on Sunday, December 29th.

WHY BET THE CHICAGO STATE COUGARS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 80-67 in favor of the Fighting Illini.
• Even though we have Illinois winning straight-up, we like Chicago State at +38.5.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 150.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 147 points.

Does Chicago State Have A Chance at State Farm Center?

Chicago State’s season continued to spiral with an 81-57 loss to CSUN on Saturday, dropping them to 0-14. The Cougars were +20.5 point underdogs and failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 138 fell short of the O/U line of 150.5.

Chicago State led 25-22 at halftime but were outscored 59-32 in the 2nd half. The Cougars’ inability to maintain their defensive intensity after the break was a key factor in the loss.

Chicago State struggled offensively in their last game, scoring just 57 points with a field goal percentage of 32.7% (17/52). Their effective field goal percentage was 38.5%, and they hit only 25% of their threes (6/24). At the free-throw line, they shot 60.7% (17/28).

Scotty Washington led the team with 19 points, despite shooting 30.8% from the field and 16.7% from three. Mahmoud Fofana was efficient, scoring 17 points on 7/10 shooting, while Matthew Robinson Jr. added 14 points, hitting 3 of 5 threes.

Chicago State’s defense allowed 81 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 43% from the field on 29 of 67 attempts. Inside the arc, they gave up 25 two-point baskets on 49 attempts, a 51% shooting rate.

From three-point range, the opponent shot just 22%, hitting 4 of 18 attempts. Chicago State also sent them to the free-throw line 21 times, where they converted 19 free throws for 90%. The Cougars allowed 11 offensive rebounds.

Can the Illinois Offense Score Enough at Home?

Illinois improved to 8-3 on the season with an 80-77 win over Missouri on Sunday. The Illini were -3.5 favorites going into the game but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 157, just over the O/U line of 154.5.

Illinois led 37-32 at halftime and scored 43 points in the 2nd half, but they allowed 45 points to Missouri after the break.

Illinois put up 80 points in their last game, shooting 43.9% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 50.9%. They hit 54.8% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 30.8% of their threes (8/26). At the free-throw line, the Illini were nearly perfect, hitting 22 of 23 attempts for a 95.7% success rate.

Kasparas Jakucionis led the way with 21 points and 4 assists, while Mark Mitchell and Tony Perkins each added 18 points. Kylan Boswell contributed 16 points and a team-high 9 rebounds, despite shooting just 16.7% from the field. Tomislav Ivisic posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, hitting 62.5% of his shots.

Even though Illinois held their opponent to just 39% shooting from the field, they still gave up 77 points. The defense allowed 44% shooting on two-pointers, with the opposing team making 20 of 45 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Illinois limited their opponent to just 3 made threes on 13 attempts, a 23% shooting performance. However, they sent them to the free-throw line 37 times, where they converted 28 free throws, shooting 75%.