Illinois Fighting Illini vs Wisconsin Badgers Matchup

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

Wisconsin vs Illinois Prediction

Looking to win big? The Badgers and Fighting Illini face off at 9:00 ET on PEAC. The Fighting Illini are hosting the game at State Farm Center in Champaign, IL. The over/under for this game is set at 154 points, and Illinois is favored by -6.5 vs. Wisconsin in a Big Ten conference matchup.

Wisconsin vs. Illinois Matchup At A Glance

  • Sport: NCAAB
  • Teams: Wisconsin Badgers at Illinois Fighting Illini
  • Where: Champaign at State Farm Center
  • Date: Tuesday, December 10th
  • Betting Odds ILL -6.5, WISC +228 | ILL -286 O/U 154

Badgers Preview: Is a Win at Champaign Possible for the Badgers?

Wisconsin Badgers Recent Game/Games

Wisconsin dropped to 8-2 on the season after an 88-74 loss to Marquette on Saturday. The Badgers, who were +6.5 point underdogs, didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points reached 162, surpassing the over/under line of 150.

Despite leading 39-37 at halftime, Wisconsin struggled in the second half, scoring just 35 points while allowing 51 to Marquette.

Badgers Offense Breakdown

In their last game, Wisconsin's offense put up 74 points, shooting 46.2% from the field and 38.5% from three-point range, hitting 10 of 26 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 55.8%, and they were nearly perfect from the free-throw line, making 16 of 18 for 88.9%.

Kam Jones led the way with 32 points and 6 assists, shooting 57.1% overall and 42.9% from deep. Max Klesmit added 22 points, hitting 6 threes at a 54.5% clip, while John Blackwell contributed 17 points, shooting 63.6% from the field.

Badgers Team Defense

Wisconsin's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 88 points on 50% shooting from the field. They allowed 23 two-point baskets on 36 attempts, a 63% success rate for their opponent.

From beyond the arc, Wisconsin's opponent hit 8 of 26 threes, shooting 30%. They also sent them to the line 21 times, where they converted 18 free throws, an 85% clip. Wisconsin gave up 11 offensive rebounds.

Fighting Illini Preview: Can Illinois Pull Off a Home Win?

Illinois dropped to 6-2 on the season after a 70-66 road loss to Northwestern on Friday. The Illini went into the game as 3-point favorites but failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game were 136, falling short of the O/U line of 143.

Illinois led 27-24 at halftime but couldn’t hold on, as they were outscored 32-29 in the second half.

Fighting Illini Offense Breakdown

Illinois struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 37.3% from the field and 26.5% from beyond the arc, finishing with 66 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 44.8%, and they hit 7 of 11 free throws (63.6%).

Nick Martinelli led the way with 27 points, shooting 55.0% overall and 50.0% from three. Kasparas Jakucionis added 20 points, hitting 6 of 10 from deep and contributing 10 rebounds and 7 assists.

Fighting Illini Team Defense

Even though Illinois gave up 70 points, they held their opponent to just 38% shooting overall, with a 47% success rate on two-point attempts (24/51). From beyond the arc, Illinois limited their opponent to 4 made threes on 21 attempts, a 19% shooting performance.

Illinois also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 17 times, where they made 10 shots, shooting 58% from the stripe. On the boards, Illinois allowed 10 offensive rebounds.

Badgers vs Fighting Illini Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

  • Across their last five road contests, Wisconsin has a 3-2 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 2-3, while averaging 75 points per game.
  • Although Illinois has a straight up record of 1-2 in their last three home games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 1-2. The team averaged 63 points per game in these games.
  • The Badgers have played well in their last three games as the betting underdog, going 2-1 straight up and 2-1 against the spread.
  • In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Fighting Illini have a strong straight up record of 2-1. In addition, their ATS record was 2-1 in these scenarios.

Wisconsin vs Illinois Prediction & Free Pick

To Top