The No. 2 Michigan Wolverines (18-1 overall, 13-1 Big Ten) host the No. 4 Illinois Fighting Illini (18-6, 14-4) Tuesday in a matchup of the Big Ten’s top two teams. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. Below, we analyze the Illinois-Michigan college basketball odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
The Illini and Wolverines are two of four Big Ten teams in the top 10 of the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports. Iowa and Ohio State check in at No. 8 and No. 10, respectively.
The first-place Wolverines, who lead the Illini by one game in the Big Ten standings, will clinch the regular-season title with a win Tuesday.
Illinois at Michigan: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:40 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Illinois +280 (bet $100 to win $280) | Michigan -350 (bet $350 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Illinois +8.5 (-130) | Michigan -8.5 (+105)
- Over/Under: 146.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Illinois at Michigan: Three things to know
- Illinois junior G Ayo Dosunmu, who hit the game-winner vs. the Wolverines in Ann Arbor last season, is listed as day-to-day for this huge showdown. The Player of the Year candidate missed the last two games with a broken nose, suffered in an 81-72 loss at Michigan State Feb. 23. He leads the Illini in scoring (21.0 points per game) and assists (5.3 APG), while grabbing 6.3 rebounds per game. Sophomore C Kofi Cockburn is Illinois’ top rebounder with 9.9 RPG. The Illini won the two games without Dosunmu, recently winning at then-No. 24 Wisconsin 74-69 Saturday as 4.5-point underdogs.
- Michigan enters on a 7-game win streak. The Wolverines were never threatened in a 73-57 victory at Indiana Saturday as 7-point favorites. They held the Hoosiers to 38.5% shooting from the field, while converting 45.3% of their own field-goal attempts along with a 17-for-19 performance at the foul line. Freshman C Hunter Dickinson leads the Wolverines in points (14.8 PPG), rebounds (7.8 RPG) and blocks (1.6 BPG).
- Illinois swept Michigan last season after losing the previous 4 in the series. In the last meeting, a Dosunmu jumper with 0.5 seconds left lifted the Illini to a 64-62 road victory as 4.5-point underdogs in January 2020.
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Illinois at Michigan: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Michigan 81, Illinois 74
Money line (ML)
The Wolverines (-350) are 12-0 at home. They will prevail here and claim the Big Ten regular-season crown, but it’s not wise to risk 3½ times your potential return. PASS.
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Against the spread (ATS)
If Dosunmu plays, ILLINOIS +8.5 (-130) is the way to go. If he sits, MICHIGAN -8.5 (+105) is worth a HALF-UNIT wager.
ATS: Illinois 14-9-1 | Michigan 15-4
Over/Under (O/U)
OVER 146.5 (-110) is the STRONGEST PLAY – 1½ times your usual wager. It won’t matter if Dosunmu plays or not, this is going Over.
Michigan averages 78.8 PPG, including 81.3 PPG in its last three games. Illinois averages 81.2 PPG, ranking 17th in the country. In the last two games without Dosunmu, the Illini averaged 80.0 PPG.
O/U records: Illinois 14-9-1 | Michigan 8-11
Want some action on this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
| JOHNNY PARLAY’S RECORD | W-L | SP | ROI |
| College hoops since Jan. 1 | 64-50-1 | 29-27 | +10.3 |
| 2020-21 College hoops | 79-67-1 | 34-37 | +3.575 |
| 2021 record (all sports) | 81-59-1 | 40-29 | +23.6 |
| *–SP: Strongest plays; ROI: Return on investment | |||
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