The No. 4 Illinois Fighting Illini (19-6 overall, 15-4 Big Ten) visit the 10th-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (18-7, 12-7) Saturday. Tip-off for the conference showdown is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio. Below, we analyze the Illinois-Ohio State college basketball odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Rankings courtesy of the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
The Illini and Buckeyes are two of four Big Ten teams ranked in the top 10 of the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll. Michigan, which clinched the conference’s regular-season title Thursday, is No. 2 and Iowa is No. 8.
Illinois at Ohio State: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:30 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Illinois +125 (bet $100 to win $125) | Ohio State -150 (bet $150 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Illinois +2.5 (-110) | Ohio State -2.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: 149.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Illinois at Ohio State: Three things to know
- Illinois stunned Michigan 76-53 as an 8.5-point underdog Tuesday. The Illini outscored the host Wolverines 22-5 in second-chance points and held them to 34.7% shooting from the field to win a third straight game. Junior G Ayo Dosunmu, the Illini’s leading scorer with 21.0 points per game, missed his third consecutive game due to a broken nose. He is listed as day to day.
- Ohio State is on a 3-game skid with the most recent setback being a 73-57 home loss to Iowa as a 2-point favorite Sunday. The slide also includes losses to Michigan at home (92-87 as a 1.5-point underdog) and at Michigan State (71-67 as a 4-point favorite). Sophomore F E.J. Liddell leads the Buckeyes with 15.9 PPG and 6.7 RPG.
- Ohio State upset Illinois 87-81 as an 8-point road underdog in mid-January. Liddell scored a game-high 26 points for the Buckeyes, who led 43-28 at the half and held on down the stretch. OSU has won two straight in the series, four of five and 10 of the last 12.
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Illinois at Ohio State: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Ohio State 75, Illinois 69
Money line (ML)
PASS. The projection calls for an OSU win, but the -150 ML price is not worth the juice.
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Against the spread (ATS)
OHIO STATE -2.5 (-110) is the STRONGEST PLAY – 1½ times your usual wager. The Buckeyes have had almost a full week to regenerate after the loss to Iowa last Sunday. They’ll be well-rested and focused. They’re also 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a double-digit home defeat.
With Michigan clinching the Big Ten regular-season title Thursday and Illinois locked into the No. 2 seed for the conference tournament, the Illini can afford a loss here. They can still earn an overall No. 1 seed for the Big Dance with a strong showing in the Big Ten tourney next week.
ATS: Illinois 15-9-1 | Ohio State 14-10-1
Over/Under (O/U)
Back the UNDER 149.5 (-110). The number is too high. Ohio State is 5-7-1 O/U at home, holding Big Ten opponents to 69.4 PPG in nine games.
Plus, if Dosunmu doesn’t play, that’s 21.0 PPG the Illini will have to replace.
O/U records: Illinois 14-10-1 | Ohio State 14-10-1
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| JOHNNY PARLAY’S RECORD | W-L | SP | ROI |
| College hoops since Jan. 1 | 65-53-1 | 29-29 | +7.5 |
| 2020-21 College hoops | 80-70-1 | 34-39 | +0.755 |
| 2021 record (all sports) | 82-62-1 | 40-31 | +20.8 |
| *–SP: Strongest plays; ROI: Return on investment | |||
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