The third-ranked Purdue Boilermakers will look to earn the Big Ten Conference regular-season championship when they battle the No. 12-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini in a key matchup on Tuesday. The Boilermakers (26-3, 15-3 Big Ten), who have won three in a row and 12 of 13, have won the last four meetings with Illinois, and are 6-0 against ranked opponents this season. The Fighting Illini (22-7, 13-5 Big Ten), who have won three straight, are 1-3 against Top-25 foes. Purdue is 6-3 in road games in 2023-24, while Illinois is 15-2 on their home court.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET at State Farm Center in Champaign, Ill. Purdue leads the all-time series 106-90, while Illinois holds a 59-37 edge in games played at Champaign. The Fighting Illini are 2-point favorites in the latest Purdue vs. Illinois odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 163.5. Before making any Illinois vs. Purdue picks, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 18 of the 2023-24 season on a 141-100 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It is also off to a sizzling 26-17 start on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Illinois vs. Purdue and revealed its CBB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Purdue vs. Illinois:
- Purdue vs. Illinois spread: Illinois -2
- Purdue vs. Illinois over/under: 163.5 points
- Purdue vs. Illinois money line: Purdue +111, Illinois -132
- PUR: The Boilermakers have won 25 of their last 28 games (+15.75 units on ML)
- ILL: The Fighting Illini have hit the game total over in 23 of their last 32 games (+13.10 units)
- Purdue vs. Illinois picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Illinois can cover
Fifth-year senior Terrence Shannon Jr., in his second year with the Fighting Illini after three seasons at Texas Tech, has started 22 of the 23 games he has played in this year. He is coming off a 23-point and five-rebound effort at Wisconsin on Saturday. He scored 29 points and recorded six boards in a 105-97 win over Minnesota on Wednesday. In 34 minutes per game, he is averaging a team-high 22 points, as well as 4.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and one block.
Fifth-year senior forward Marcus Domask was dominant in the first meeting with the Boilermakers in January, scoring 26 points, dishing out five assists and grabbing three rebounds. He is coming off a 31-point and eight-rebound performance against Wisconsin. He also had 22 points, seven rebounds and five assists in the win over Minnesota. In 29 games, all starts, he is averaging 16 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 34 minutes. See which team to pick here.
Why Purdue can cover
The Boilermakers are led by senior center Zach Edey, who is averaging 24 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.9 assists per game. He is connecting on 62.6% of his field goals, including 1 of 2 from 3-point range, and 71.8% of his free throws. He is coming off a 32-point and 11-rebound effort against Michigan State on Saturday. He had 35 points and 15 rebounds in an 84-76 win at Michigan on Feb. 25.
Sophomore guard Braden Smith is also coming off a strong performance in the win over Michigan State. In 40 minutes of action, he poured in 23 points, grabbed nine rebounds and added three assists. He nearly had a triple-double in the win at Michigan. He scored 11 points and dished out 11 assists, while grabbing eight rebounds. In 29 games, all starts, Smith is averaging 13.1 points, 7.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 30.3 minutes. See which team to pick here.
How to make Purdue vs. Illinois picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 154 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time. You can see the picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Illinois vs. Purdue, and which side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see the best bets from a model that’s 26-17 on top-rated college basketball picks this season, and find out.
