There could be points aplenty at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Wednesday night as No. 5 Illinois and No. 2 Baylor tangle in another marquee early-season college basketball showdown. The Illini (3-0 SU, 2-1 ATS) are averaging an impressive 98.7 points through their first three games of the 2020-21 campaign, while the Bears (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS) are at 99 ppg through two contests.
- Date/Time: December 2, 10 p.m. ET
- Arena: Bankers Life Fieldhouse
- TV Coverage: ESPN
- Sportsbook Odds: Baylor -5.5 | O/U 142 (Line History)
- Illinois vs Baylor Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
Baylor kicked things off as a 5.5-point favorite and that line hasn’t moved yet. The total, on the other hand, has risen to 144.5 in most spots after Sportsbook at 142.
Illinois News & Notes
You can be the judge on how Illinois fared in its first major test of the season. Following one-sided wins over NCAA minnows North Carolina A&T and Chicago State, the Illini had all they could handle against Ohio, escaping with a 77-75 win over the Bobcats. Illinois shot 48.3 percent from the floor and enjoyed a 45-25 rebound advantage but committed 16 turnovers.
With Wednesday’s contest against Baylor expected to be a competitive one, you can expect to see plenty of Ayo Dosunmu. The star Illini guard has been simply sensational so far, averaging 25.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists through three games. He put up a 27-7-8 line against Ohio in 38 minutes and should be a fixture in every daily fantasy lineup you build Wednesday.
Baylor News & Notes
Few teams have the firepower to match the Illini – but the Bears are squarely in that category, as shown in 30-point wins over Louisiana and Washington to open the campaign.
Baylor is shooting a red-hot 53.7 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three-point range so far, but the Bears could stand to improve upon their 12-of-24 showing from the free-throw line.
Balance is the key for Baylor, which has four players averaging 12 or more points per game, led by Jared Butler (18.5) and MaCio Teague (18.0). Butler in particular is off to a terrific start, shooting 60 percent from the floor while knocking down seven of his 12 long-range attempts. He also has five steals through two games.
Betting Pick: Baylor -5.5 (-110)
The Bears have looked dominant so far, while we’re a bit shaken by how much trouble Illinois had last time out.
- The Illini have averaged 16.3 turnovers through 3 games.
- Baylor has forced an average of 16.5 turnovers this season.
- Illinois F Kofi Cockburn leads the team at 15 PPG.
