Illinois Fighting Illini vs Michigan State Spartans NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/19/25
Planning on watching today’s Fighting Illini and Spartans game? Catch the action at Breslin Center in East Lansing, MI, as the Spartans hosts this showdown at 12:00 ET on CBS. This Big Ten conference matchup has an over/under of 155.5 points, and Michigan State is favored to win by -3.5 at home vs. Illinois.
ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI VS MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Michigan State Spartans -3.5
This game will be played at Breslin Center at 12:00 ET on Sunday, January 19th.
WHY BET THE MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-69 in favor of the Spartans.
- Not only will Michigan State pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -3.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 155.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 146 points.
Do the Fighting Illini Stand a Chance on the Road?
Illinois Fighting Illini Recent Game/Games
Illinois improved to 13-4 on the season with a dominant 94-69 road win over Indiana on Tuesday. The Illini, who were -6 favorites, covered the spread, and the game’s total points of 163 exceeded the over/under line of 160.5.
Illinois took control early, leading 60-32 at halftime. They scored 34 points in the 2nd half while allowing 37, but the early lead was enough to secure the win.
Illinois put up 94 points in their last game, shooting 40% from the field and 34.4% from three-point range, connecting on 11 of 32 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 48%, and they were strong from the free-throw line, hitting 23 of 26 for an 88.5% rate.
On the boards, they grabbed 16 offensive rebounds, with Oumar Ballo pulling down 15 total rebounds to go along with 16 points. Kylan Boswell led the team with 22 points, and Kasparas Jakucionis added 21 points and 5 assists, hitting 3 of 7 from beyond the arc.
Illinois held their opponent to 69 points on 38% shooting from the field, including 44% on two-point attempts (21/47). They also limited the damage from beyond the arc, where the opposing team shot just 22% (4/18).
From the free-throw line, Illinois sent their opponent to the stripe 18 times, where they connected on 15 attempts for an 83% success rate. The Illini gave up 8 offensive rebounds in the game.
Will Michigan State Come Through as Home Favorites?
Michigan State improved to 15-2 on the season with a 90-85 home win over Penn State on Wednesday. The Spartans were -11.5 favorites coming into the game but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 175, surpassing the over/under line of 151.5.
Michigan State led 46-36 at halftime but allowed Penn State to score 49 points in the second half while putting up 44 points of their own.
Michigan State put up 90 points in their latest game, shooting 47.1% from the field and hitting 51.5% on effective field goals. They excelled inside, making 57.8% of their two-point attempts, while struggling from deep, connecting on just 26.1% of their threes (6/23). At the free-throw line, they were solid, hitting 83.3% (20/24).
The Spartans dished out 24 assists, with Ace Baldwin leading the way with 9 assists and 20 points. D’Marco Dunn and Frankie Fidler each added 18 points, with Dunn hitting 4 threes at 57.1%. Zach Hicks also shot 57.1% from three, finishing with 14 points.
Michigan State’s defense struggled in their previous game, giving up 85 points on 47% shooting from the field. They allowed their opponent to hit 57% of their two-point attempts, with 26 makes on 45 shots.
From beyond the arc, Michigan State held their opponent to 26% shooting, as they went 6/23 from three-point range. However, they sent them to the free-throw line 24 times, where they converted 20 free throws at an 83% clip. Michigan State also gave up 15 offensive rebounds.