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| Penn State Nittany Lions | Illinois Fighting Illini |
| 9-5 | January 04, 2014, 02:15 | State Farm Center | 12-2 |
Illinois looks to cover the Fighting Illini-Nittany Lions pointspread on Saturday and improve its overall 12-2 mark when they host Penn State in college basketball wagering action.
Supporters of the Nittany Lions have watched them go 9-5 and 8-3 ATS on the year, while the Fighting Illini are at 12-2 and 7-4-2 ATS. In totals betting, the Fighting Illini are 5-6-1, while the Nittany Lions have a 8-3 mark.
View Penn State Nittany Lions vs Illinois Fighting Illini Odds and Stats.
Bettors looking to side with Illinois in this one found them as -8-point favorites earlier in the day. Watch for line moves and updates at Sportsbook before gametime.
According to new college basketball power rankings here, it's the No. 28-ranked Fighting Illini and the No. 67-rated Nittany Lions in this matchup.
Penn State lost its last outing, a 79-63 result against Michigan State on December 31. They failed to cover in that game as a 7-point underdog. Penn State suffered a 79-63 loss against Michigan State on Tuesday, getting 18 points from Brandon Taylor in a losing effort at Bryce Jordan Center.
Last time out for Illinois, they were an 83-80 Sportsbook as they battled Indiana at home. They earned a push in the match as a 3-point favorite. The Hoosiers were burned for 29 points by Rayvonte Rice on Tuesday as the Fighting Illini put another game in the win column, 83-80, at State Farm Center.
How They Match Up:
The game also pits Illinois's No. 165-ranked offense, averaging 72.07 PPG, against a Nittany Lions defense that ranks No. 201 at 73.64 PPG. The Fighting Illini field goal percentage has averaged 44.47% so far, less than the Nittany Lions marksmen have achieved on the year, 47.1% per game.
A few Nittany Lions at Fighting Illini trends to consider:
Penn State is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games
Penn State is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Penn State's last 8 games
Penn State is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Illinois is 12-2 SU in its last 14 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Illinois's last 6 games
Illinois is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Illinois is 2-10 ATS in its last 12 games when playing Penn State
Next up:
Penn State home to Minnesota, Wednesday, January 8th
Illinois at Wisconsin, Wednesday, January 8th
