Illinois at Indiana Prediction, College Basketball Game Preview

Illinois at Indiana preview, prediction, and breakdown for the college basketball game on Saturday, February 18

Illinois at Indiana prediction, game preview, odds, how to watch. Saturday, February 18


Illinois at Indiana How To Watch

Date: Saturday, February 18
Game Time: 12:00 ET
Venue: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, Bloomington, IN
How To Watch: ESPN
Record: Illinois (17-8), Indiana (18-8)
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Illinois at Indiana Game Preview

Why Illinois Will Win

The Illini are scuffling a bit, but they’re still doing a nice job from the field, the inside presence is solid, and they crank up enough threes to matter.

They’re not hitting those outside shots, but they do enough to draw out the defense to crank up the production inside. On the flip side, Indiana is stingy with its three – it makes them when it takes them, but it doesn’t take a lot of them – and the defense doesn’t come up with a ton of mistakes.

For a turnover-prone team like Illinois, it’s catching a bit of a break. In general it has been okay when it’s giving the ball away, but it can’t do that here.

However …

CFN College Basketball Rankings 1-68

Why Indiana Will Win

The Illinois defense appears to be taking a bit of a break, at least on the road.

It couldn’t stop anything Penn State wanted to do, and it couldn’t get the one big defensive play to slow down Iowa in the 81-79 loss.

Indiana might have lost to Northwestern, but let’s just say the officiating in that was … interesting. The team has been a killer at home – another lost to Northwestern was the lone defeat so far in Bloomington – and there weren’t any problems with the Illini in Champaign a month ago.

The shooting has been great, the offense is doing a solid job of moving it around, and as long as it’s okay on the boards there shouldn’t be a problem.

And …

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What’s Going To Happen

Indiana just needs to get to 70 points.

Illinois is 15-0 when holding teams to under 70 and 2-8 when allowing that many or more. Indiana has been held to under 70 just ten times, and just three of those were at home – two were to Wisconsin and Rutgers.

Indiana will get to 70 in a close battle before pulling away late on the free throw line.

– Top 25 AP Poll | Coaches Poll

Illinois at Indiana Prediction, Line

Indiana 80, Illinois 74
Line: COMING, o/u: COMING
ATS Confidence out of 5: COMING
Must See Ranking: 4
College Basketball Predictions For Every Game: Saturday

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Illinois vs Indiana Prediction, Game Preview

Illinois vs Indiana game preview, prediction, and breakdown for the Week 1 game on Friday, September 2

Illinois vs Indiana prediction, game preview, how to watch. Week 1, Friday, September 2


Illinois vs Indiana How To Watch

Date: Friday, September 2
Game Time: 8:00 ET
Venue: Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, IN
How To Watch: FS1
Record: Illinois (1-0), Indiana (0-0)
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Illinois vs Indiana Game Preview

Why Illinois Will Win

Can the Indiana offense find something that works?

The running game was bad, the passing attack struggled, and the turnovers flowed freely throughout the lost 2021. As bad as the O was, the D was uglier.

It wasn’t bad against the run, but it couldn’t generate any pressure on the way to allowing just over 33 points per game. It’s going to take a little work to get this group to take over games.

The Illinois secondary will be a strength early on with a good group of veterans helped out be an improved pass rush – it held Wyoming to just 30 yards in the 38-6 Week 0 win.

As long as the Illini offense can grind it out and control the clock – the line should be able to handle the Hoosier defensive front without too much of a problem – the D should be able to take care of the rest.

Week 1 Expert Picks, Thursday & Friday

Why Indiana Will Win

It’s not like the Illinois offense will come out and crank up 50 points on a regular basis.

Once again the program is trying to fix the glitch with another quarterback option – Syracuse’s Tommy DeVito is an interesting option – but it’s going to be all about the running game.

Indiana has to load up against the run and do whatever it can to get to the quarterback and dare the Illini to try generating a push against the improved defensive front.

DT JH Tevis from Cal, DE Myles Jackson from UCLA, and big LeDarrius Cox from Ole Miss should make a huge improvement.

Offensively, Auburn’s Shaun Shivers from Auburn and Josh Henderson from North Carolina will make an instant impact for a running game that needed more pop.

Get anything going offensively, and that might be enough. Again, the Illinois offense won’t put up big yards and points in chunks.

Week 1 Schedule, Predictions, Game Previews, Thursday & Friday

What’s Going To Happen

How much will it matter that Illinois was able to tune up and roll against Wyoming?

A lot.

Illinois has its quarterback now in Syracuse transfer Tommy DeVito, and Chase Brown is looking like a star after running for 151 yards and two scores.

Both offenses will be better than they were last season, but teams will get better quarterback play, better production from the backs, and …

Illinois has the better defense.

Don’t gear up for a ton of big plays and points, but it’ll be a fun, competitive battle that comes down to a few late drives and possibly a kick to end the night.

All of the CFN Predictions

Illinois vs Indiana Prediction, Line

Illinois 27, Indiana 24
Line: Indiana -3.5, o/u: 46
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3

Illinois vs Indiana Must See Rating: 3

5: ‘Billie Jean’
1: Aidan Hutchinson’s rendition of ‘Billie Jean’

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