The Michigan Wolverines and Illinois Fighting Illini face off on Thursday in a college basketball showdown at the State Farm Center. When these two teams faced off in February of 2022 it was Illinois that secured the 93-85 victory.
Michigan Betting Preview
Michigan comes into this game with a 17-12 record overall and they have gone 15-13-1 against the spread. In the last game against Wisconsin, Michigan scored 87 points and that led to the eight point victory. Two games ago against Rutgers the defense only gave up 45 points and that was another comfortable victory. Michigan is averaging 73.4 points while their defense is giving up 68.7 points per game. Hunter Dickinson is averaging 17.6 points while shooting 55.2 percent from the field.
Illinois Betting Preview
On the other side of this matchup is Illinois who sits with a 19-10 record overall and they have gone 17-12 against the spread. In the last game against Ohio State, Illinois only managed 60 points and they ended up losing by 12 points. Coleman Hawkins was the top player for Illinois finishing with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Illinois is averaging 74.2 points while their defense is giving up 65.6 points per game. The offense is ranked 120th in the league while the defense is ranked 62nd. Terrence Shannon Jr is averaging 17.1 points while shooting 44.1 percent from the field.
Michigan vs Illinois Trends
Illinois is 1-4 against the spread in their last five games overall. The under is 4-0 in the Fighting Illini’s last four games following an against the spread loss. The under is 4-1-1 in the Fighting Illini’s last six home games.
Shane’s Free Pick
Michigan finally seems to be figuring it out, and just two games ago the defense gave up only 45 points. Illinois is coming off a game where they scored only 60 points, and they are going to really struggle to score again in this game. Look for another big game from Dickinson, and Michigan is going to get the job done. Back the Wolverines against the spread. I am also throwing a few dollars on the Michigan on the money line.