Alabama Crimson Tide vs Illinois Fighting Illini Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Alabama vs Illinois NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Birmingham.

Alabama vs Illinois Prediction

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. Alabama is the -8 point favorites in this non-conference matchup against Illinois. The over/under for the game is set at 167.5 points.

Alabama vs. Illinois Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Alabama Crimson Tide at Illinois Fighting Illini
Where: Birmingham at Legacy Arena at BJCC
Date: Wednesday, November 20th
Betting Odds ALA -8, ALA -337 | ILL +264 O/U 167.5

Crimson Tide Preview: Will Alabama Be The Talk of Legacy Arena at BJCC?

Alabama’s season hit a bump with an 87-78 road loss to Purdue on Friday. Entering the game as -3.5 favorites, the Crimson Tide not only lost but also failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 165, exactly matching the pre-game O/U line.

Alabama trailed 42-40 at halftime and couldn’t close the gap in the second half, scoring 38 points while allowing 45. The team will need to tighten up defensively and find a way to perform better on the road moving forward.

Crimson Tide Offense Breakdown

Alabama put up 78 points in their last game, shooting 44.4% from the field. They hit 55.9% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 31% of their threes (9/29). Their effective field goal percentage came in at 50.8%.

The Crimson Tide were strong from the free-throw line, hitting 86.7% of their attempts (13/15). They also dished out 18 assists and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds. Trey Kaufman-Renn led the way with 26 points and 8 rebounds, while Labaron Philon added 18 points, hitting 3 of 4 from deep.

Crimson Tide Team Defense

Alabama's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 87 points on 49% shooting from the field. They allowed 31 made field goals, with the opposing team hitting 22 of 47 two-point attempts, good for 46%.

From beyond the arc, Alabama's defense allowed 9 threes on 16 attempts, a 56% shooting performance. They also sent the other team to the line 25 times, where they made 16 free throws, shooting 64%. Alabama gave up 10 offensive rebounds.

Fighting Illini Preview: Is A Home Victory Likely for Underdog Illinois?

Illinois Fighting Illini Recent Game/Games

Illinois picked up a 66-54 win over Oakland on Wednesday, November 13th. Playing at home, the Illini were -23.5 point favorites but didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 120 fell well short of the 150 O/U line.

Illinois led 36-29 at halftime and continued to control the game, outscoring Oakland 30-25 in the 2nd half.

Fighting Illini Offense Breakdown

Illinois managed 66 points in their last game, shooting 41.8% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 47.3%, with struggles from beyond the arc, hitting just 28% on 7 of 25 attempts. Inside the arc, they connected on 53.3% of their two-point shots, going 16 for 30.

Tomislav Ivisic led the way with 20 points, shooting 64.3% overall, though he missed both his three-point attempts. Jayson Woodrich had a tough night, hitting just 1 of 9 from deep and 4 of 15 overall, finishing with 11 points. Illinois also grabbed 12 offensive rebounds and dished out 11 assists, while shooting 76.5% from the free-throw line, making 13 of 17 attempts.

Fighting Illini Team Defense

Illinois put on a defensive clinic, holding their opponent to just 54 points on 41% shooting from the field. They limited damage from beyond the arc, where their opponent shot 28%, hitting only 7 of 25 three-point attempts.

Despite their opponent's struggles, Illinois sent them to the line 17 times, where they converted 13 free throws for a 76% rate. The Illini also gave up 12 offensive rebounds in the game.

Crimson Tide vs Fighting Illini Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last five games away from home, the Crimson Tide have a straight up record of 2-3 while going 2-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 85 points per game in this stretch.
Across the Fighting Illini last ten home games, the team averaged 80 points per game while allowing 79. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 6-4, while going 6-4 straight-up.
In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Fighting Illini have a straight up record of 2-3 and an ATS mark of 3-2.
Through their previous three contests as the betting favorite, the Crimson Tide have a strong record of 2-1. Their record vs the spread in these matchups is 0-3.