Published Jan 14, 10:31pm ET by
Keith McCarthy - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Jan 14, 10:31pm ET
Updated Jan 14, 10:33pm ET
Illinois and Michigan meet this week in what is a key Big-10 battle. The Fighting Illini enter as the underdogs, needing to be at their absolute best to have a chance of upsetting the surging Wolverines.
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| Michigan Wolverines | -235 |
| Illinois Fighting Illini | +190 |
Illinois crept into the AP Top 25 this week, despite losing two of their last three games. Both losses came against ranked teams, allowing the Illini to claim the #25 spot. They face another ranked test this week against top-10 Michigan, needing to find an extra gear to topple the Wolverines on the road. Sophomore Berry Wallace leads the way on offense for Illinois, averaging 18.3 ppg and 6.9 rpg with a 53% FG percentage.
Michigan surged on offense last week, defeating Penn State and Wisconsin by a scoring average of 96-63. The Wolverines rank highly thanks to their balanced offense being further supported by a stifling defense. Sophomore Olivia Olson has been one of their top two-way threats. She is averaging just under 18 ppg and nearly 2 steals per game in just 28 minutes per contest. She will have a key role once again in this matchup.
Michigan enters this game with a notable advantage as the higher-ranked team. They have been playing very well lately and hold the home-court advantage in this game. That being said, their loss to Washington proves they're still susceptible to bad shooting nights. Unless they're at their worst, though, they should beat Illinois.
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Pick
Michigan Wolverines (-235)
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