The 12th-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini will try to keep their slim Big Ten Conference regular-season title hopes alive when they take on the third-ranked Purdue Boilermakers on Tuesday. A Purdue win would clinch the title outright, while an Illinois win would cut the Boilermakers (26-3, 15-3 Big Ten) lead in the conference to one game with one game remaining. Purdue, which has won three in a row, is coming off an 80-74 win over Michigan State on Saturday. The Fighting Illini (22-7, 13-5 Big Ten), who are looking for their fourth straight win, beat Wisconsin 91-83 on Saturday.
The game begins at 7 p.m. ET at State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois. Purdue is averaging 84.7 points per game, while Illinois is averaging 84.8. 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 165. Before picking Illinois vs. Purdue, you need to look at the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates each 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 from last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It’s off to a stellar 26-17 start on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone who has followed has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has turned its attention to Illinois vs. Purdue and revealed its CBB picks and predictions. You can head over to SportsLine now to see the model picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Purdue vs. Illinois:
- Purdue vs. Illinois Spread: Illinois -2
- Purdue vs. Illinois Over/Under: 165 points
- Purdue vs. Illinois Money Line: Purdue +119, Illinois -141
- PUR: The Boilermakers have won 25 of their last 28 games (+15.75 units on ML)
- ILL: The Fighting Illini have hit a game total in 23 of their last 32 games (+13.10 units)
- Purdue vs. Illinois picks: Watch picks on SportsLine
Why Illinois may cover
Senior forward Coleman Hawkins has been in the news for quite some time. In a 95–85 win over Iowa on February 24, he scored 30 points, while dishing out five assists and having five steals. He had 20 points, three assists and two rebounds in a 105-97 win over Minnesota on Wednesday. Hawkins scored 13 points, grabbed seven rebounds and had two blocks in Saturday’s win at Wisconsin. In 26 games, all starts, he averaged 13.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks.
Senior forward Quincy Guerrier, who is in his first year with the Fighting Illini, played the past two seasons at Oregon. In 29 games, all starts, he averaged 10.2 points and 6.7 rebounds in 25 minutes. He has scored 10 or more points 16 times and recorded eight double-doubles. The last time was a 15-point and 11-rebound effort in a 96-91 overtime loss at Northwestern on Jan. 24. Here’s a look at which team to pick.
Why Purdue Might Cover
The Boilermakers are led by senior center Zach Eddy, who averages 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 on 71.8% of his free throws. He is coming off a 32-point and 11-rebound effort against Michigan State on Saturday. On February 25, he had 35 points and 15 rebounds in an 84–76 win at Michigan.
Second-year guard Braden Smith also had a strong performance in the win over Michigan State. In 40 minutes of action, he scored 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 averaged 13.1 points, 7.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 30.3 minutes. Here’s a look at which team to pick.
How to Pick Purdue vs. Illinois
SportsLine’s model is projecting a total of 154 combined points. The model also says that one side of the spread is the better value. You can watch the selection on SportsLine.
So who wins Illinois vs. Purdue, and which side of the spread is the better value? Visit SportsLine now to see the 26-17 model’s best bets on top-rated college basketball picks this season and find out.
