Illinois Fighting Illini vs Missouri Tigers Matchup

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

Illinois vs Missouri Prediction

Planning on watching 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 contest against Missouri. The game's over/under currently sits at 155.5 points.

Illinois vs. Missouri Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Illinois Fighting Illini at Missouri Tigers
Where: St. Louis at Enterprise Center
Date: Sunday, December 22nd
Betting Odds ILL -3.5, ILL -157 | MISSR +128 O/U 155.5

Fighting Illini Preview: Do the Fighting Illini Have What it Takes to Win as Road Favorites?

Illinois fell to 7-3 on the season after a narrow 66-64 loss to Tennessee on Saturday. The Illini were +2 point underdogs going into the game, and the final score resulted in an ATS push. The total points for the game were 130, well under the O/U line of 148.5.

Illinois trailed 31-30 at halftime and scored 34 points in the second half while allowing 35. Despite the loss, Illinois kept things close against a tough opponent.

Fighting Illini Offense Breakdown

Illinois struggled offensively in their last game, 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 33.3%, but they made up for it at the free-throw line, connecting on 30 of 36 attempts for 83.3%.

Jordan Gainey led the way with 23 points, hitting 3 of 6 from deep, while Kasparas Jakucionis added 22 points, despite shooting 2 of 7 from three. The Illini finished with just 6 assists and grabbed 12 offensive rebounds in the game.

Fighting Illini Team Defense

Illinois put on a defensive clinic, holding their opponent to just 66 points on 29% shooting from the field. They were especially effective in defending the three-point line, where they limited the opposition to 4 made threes on 23 attempts, a 17% shooting performance.

Despite the strong defensive effort, Illinois sent their opponent to the free-throw line 36 times, where they converted 30 free throws for 83%. The Illini also allowed 12 offensive rebounds in the game.

Tigers Preview: Can Missouri Grab a Win at Home?

Missouri improved to 10-1 on the season with an 83-72 win over Jacksonville State on Tuesday. The Tigers were favored by 16.5 points but didn't cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 155, going over the pre-game line of 145.5.

Leading 41-40 at halftime, Missouri tightened up defensively in the second half, allowing just 32 points while scoring 42 of their own to pull away for the win.

Tigers Offense Breakdown

Missouri's offense put up 83 points in their latest game, shooting 49.1% from the field. They connected on 48% of their threes, hitting 12 of 25 attempts, and finished with an effective field goal percentage of 59.6%.

Jacob Crews led the way with 19 points in just 20 minutes, going 6 of 9 from deep. Mark Mitchell and Jaron Pierre Jr. each added 18 points, with Mitchell also contributing 6 rebounds and 6 assists.

Tigers Team Defense

Despite giving up 72 points, Missouri's defense struggled to contain their opponent, who shot 49% from the field. They allowed 28 made field goals on 57 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Missouri's opponent hit 12 of 25 threes, shooting 48%. They also went 15/22 from the free-throw line, a 68% rate. Missouri gave up 9 offensive rebounds.

Fighting Illini vs Tigers Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last three games away from home, the Fighting Illini have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 1-2 vs. the spread. The team averaged 63 points per game in this stretch.
In their last three games at home, the Tigers have a straight up record of 0-3 while going 1-2 vs. the spread. The team averaged 71 points per game in this stretch.
Going back to their last five games as the underdog, the Tigers have a straight up record of 1-4. But, their mark vs the spread was just 2-3.
Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Fighting Illini have a straight up record of 9-1. But, their mark vs the spread was just 7-3.