Illinois vs Indiana prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch: Saturday, February 5
Illinois vs Indiana How To Watch
Date: Saturday, February 5
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Venue: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington, IN
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Illinois (16-5), Indiana (16-5)
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Illinois vs Indiana Game Preview
Why Illinois Will Win
So how did Illinois roll through Wisconsin with such ease in a 80-67 victory?
The easy answer would normally be rebounds, because Illinois is among the best teams in the country on the boards, but it was a shocking -3 to a team that doesn’t do much in the rebounding department. No, it won because it had one of its best shooting days of the season.
The threes weren’t quite there – even though this is a strong team from the outside – but they were on from everywhere except the free throw line.
Indiana doesn’t do much from three, it doesn’t force mistakes with steals, and it’s been just okay lately on the boards, but …
Why Indiana Will Win
The Hoosiers have a way of grinding things down to the way they want to play, and it’s working with the best defense in the Big Ten.
Teams are hitting just 37% from the field against them with just three teams getting above 80.
IU is 0-3 when allowing 80 points or more and 16-2 when it doesn’t – those two losses were on the road. Illinois is 10-1 when it gets to 80 points, and the loss came in an overtime fight with Purdue.
Slow this down a wee bit, keep Illinois to under 80, and keep it close in the rebounding margin. Indiana can do that.
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What’s Going To Happen
Illinois has been a tad flaky lately and Indiana has been a tad underrated. This is all about the defense, and the Hoosiers will bring it by keeping the Illini from going off like they did against the Badgers over a nice stretch of shooting overall.
This will be close with the Illinois inside presence of Kofi Cockburn being a problem, but the team is 0-4 when shooting under 40% and, again, Indiana allows teams to hit 37%.
Illinois vs Indiana Prediction, Lines
Indiana 67, Illinois 64
Line: COMING, o/u: COMING
ATS Confidence out of 5: COMING
Must See Rating: 3.5
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