Illinois vs Michigan prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch: Sunday, February 27
Illinois vs Michigan How To Watch
Date: Sunday, February 27
Game Time: 2:00 ET
Venue: Crisler Center, Ann Arbor, MI
How To Watch: CBS
Record: Illinois (19-8), Michigan (15-11)
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Illinois vs Michigan Game Preview
Why Illinois Will Win
It’s been way too much of a battle for the Illini lately, but if you believe in patterns, they’re due.
They follow up losses with good performances and wins, and after going win-loss-win-loss-win-loss, they’re due to get it back and be on the right side of a win.
To do that they need the defense to be a whole lot stronger.
Ohio State couldn’t miss inside or out in its win, Rutgers was solid at getting to the rim, and Purdue did whatever it wanted. But that’s the deal with this team – you have to shoot really, really well to beat it.
That goes with the pattern thing the other way. Michigan is win-loss-win-loss-win, and it’s due for a loss if it doesn’t shoot the lights out.
It only made 37% of its shots the first time around. But …
Why Michigan Will Win
Yeah, yeah, yeah, enough of the silly momentum-patterns thing.
The reality to that way of looking at teams is that it means one thing – they’re inconsistent.
Illinois is painfully off offensively on the road over the last few weeks – one solid performance against Michigan State aside.
It’s not making its threes – that’s a problem at home, too – it’s not coming up with enough offensive rebounds to make up for the issues, and there are a few too many cold streaks.
Michigan can’t hit its threes lately, but it’s doing a phenomenal job of stopping teams from doing anything on the outside. It has the ability to load up on the boards, it should be able to pack it in on the inside, and …
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What’s Going To Happen
Michigan will be better at home against Illinois than it was on the road in the first meeting.
Illinois doesn’t have to be great from three to succeed – it cranks up lots of them and hopes the volume will get it done – but the wins usually come against teams that can’t do enough to hold up inside.
At home, Michigan is going to be tough enough on the defensive interior to survive.
Illinois vs Michigan Prediction, Lines
Michigan 73, Illinois 71
Line: EVEN, o/u: 141.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 2
Must See Rating: 3.5
5: March
1: February
