Big Ten Tournament - Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Fighting Illini College Hoops Game Preview

Minnesota Golden GophersIllinois Fighting Illini
March 14, 12:00 PM | United Center

Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Illinois Fighting Illini Odds

20-11TEAM RECORD21-11



The Illinois Fighting Illini will try to pay off for their supporters on Thursday when they play host to the Minnesota Golden Gophers at United Center in NCAA basketball action.

This is a conference playoff game in the Big Ten Tournament. This matchup is a neutral-site affair being played at United Center.

Illinois battles the Golden Gophers, currently sitting with a 20-11 mark (15-14 ATS). The OVER/UNDER records, always important for totals bettors, are 11-17 for the Fighting Illini and 11-15 for the Golden Gophers.



View Minnesota vs Illinois Odds and Stats.

Betting Line:
The visitors opened as 2.5-point favorites in this one at most sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark, including Sportsbook. The total was set to open a bit later (check out Sportsbook for the latest situation(.

Power Rankings / Prediction:
The Fighting Illini sit at No. 88 in the current college hoops power poll here at Odds Shark, while the Golden Gophers sit at No. 21 on the same chart. The computers running our scores simulations have concluded that the Golden Gophers will win this game 74-71.



How They Match Up:
In the paint, the rebound battle will feature Illinois's No. 200-rated squad against Minnesota's No. 20-rated roster. And in long-range shooting, Illinois rates No. 31 in the country with 7.9 per game, while their foes tonight rank No. 273 nationally with 5.2 per match.

Defensively, Minnesota features the nation's No. 88-rated defense on the road, allowing 66 points per game. Illinois, meanwhile, comes in at No. 136 nationally in scoring at home.

Last time out for Minnesota, they were an 89-73 loser as they battled Purdue on the road. They failed to cover in the match as a 3.5-point favorite. Andre Hollins scored 24 points in a futile effort to lead the Golden Gophers to a win (they lost 89-73 to Purdue at Mackey Arena on Saturday).

Illinois lost its last outing, a 68-55 result against Ohio State on March 10. They failed to cover in that game as a 9.5-point underdog. The Fighting Illini endured a 68-55 loss at the hands of the Buckeyes on Sunday, despite a 21-point effort from Brandon Paul at Value City Arena.


Minnesota Golden Gophers Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
After playing Purdue are 6-4
After a loss are 4-6

Illinois Fighting Illini Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
After playing Ohio State are 5-5
After a loss are 5-5


A few Golden Gophers at Fighting Illini trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Illinois's last 6 games
Illinois is 16-4 SU in its last 20 games when playing Minnesota
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Illinois's last 10 games when playing Minnesota
Illinois is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games


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