Illinois Fighting Illini vs Missouri Tigers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 12/22/24
Betting on today’s Fighting Illini and Tigers game? Catch the action at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO, as the Tigers hosts this showdown at 1:00 ET on ESPN. Illinois is favored by -3.5 in this non-conference showdown. The game’s over/under is currently at 155.5 points.
ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI VS MISSOURI TIGERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Missouri Tigers +3.5
This game will be played at Enterprise Center at 1:00 ET on Sunday, December 22nd.
WHY BET THE MISSOURI TIGERS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-71 in favor of the Tigers.
- Not only will Missouri 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.
Will the Fighting Illini Find a Way to Win in St. Louis?
Illinois dropped to 7-3 on the season after a narrow 66-64 loss to Tennessee on Saturday. The Illini were +2 point underdogs heading into the game and pushed against the spread. The total points for the game ended up at 130, well under the O/U line of 148.5.
Illinois trailed 31-30 at halftime and were outscored 35-34 in the second half. They’ll look to bounce back in their next game after this close loss.
In their last game, Illinois struggled offensively, shooting just 29.4% from the field and 17.4% from three-point range, hitting only 4 of 23 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was a mere 33.3%, but they did manage to convert 83.3% of their free throws, going 30 for 36 from the line.
Jordan Gainey led the way with 23 points, shooting 50% from beyond the arc, while Kasparas Jakucionis added 22 points despite hitting just 28.6% of his threes. The Illini recorded only 6 assists as a team, with 12 offensive rebounds helping to somewhat offset their shooting woes.
Illinois put up a strong defensive performance, holding their opponent to just 66 points on 29% shooting from the field. They limited two-point attempts to 39% (11/28) and three-point attempts to 17% (4/23).
Despite the solid defensive effort, Illinois sent their opponent to the free-throw line 36 times, where they converted 30 free throws (83%). Illinois also allowed 12 offensive rebounds.
Will the Missouri Defense Show Up at Home?
Missouri improved to 10-1 after an 83-72 win over Jacksonville State on Tuesday. The Tigers were -16.5 favorites but didn’t cover the spread. The combined points of 155 went over the 145.5 O/U line.
Missouri led 41-40 at halftime and tightened up defensively in the 2nd half, holding Jacksonville State to 32 points while scoring 42 themselves.
Missouri’s offense put up 83 points in their last game, shooting 49.1% from the field and posting an effective field goal percentage of 59.6%. They hit 48% from beyond the arc, connecting on 12 of 25 attempts, and went 15 of 22 from the free-throw line (68.2%).
Jacob Crews led the way with 19 points in just 20 minutes, hitting 6 of 9 threes. Mark Mitchell and Jaron Pierre Jr. each added 18 points, with Mitchell also dishing out 6 assists. Jamar Franklin contributed 15 points, hitting 4 of 6 from deep.
Even with Missouri’s defensive struggles, they managed to hold their opponent to 72 points. The Tigers allowed their opponents to shoot 49% from the field, with 28 made baskets on 57 attempts.
Missouri’s defense gave up 12 threes on 25 attempts, a 48% shooting performance. They also sent their opponents to the free-throw line 22 times, where they converted 15 of those attempts.