The 13th-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini (5-2 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) visit the No. 17 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (5-0, 1-0) Sunday for a 1 p.m. ET tip. Below, we analyze the Illinois-Rutgers college basketball betting odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Rankings courtesy of USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll.
Illinois at Rutgers: Betting odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:50 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Illinois -140 (bet $140 to win $100) | Rutgers +115 (bet $100 to win $115)
- Against the spread/ATS: Illinois -1.5 (-120) | Rutgers +1.5 (+100)
- Over/Under: 144 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Illinois at Rutgers: Three things to know
- Illinois opened its Big Ten season with a 92-65 home rout of Minnesota Tuesday. Sophomore C Kofi Cockburn scored a career-high 33 points and pulled in 13 rebounds in just 25 minutes as the Illini easily covered as 9-point favorites. Junior G Ayo Dosunmu leads Illinois with 22.7 points per game. Cockburn averages 16.7 PPG and a team-high 9.4 rebounds per game. The Illini had dropped their previous game at Missouri 81-78 as 3-point favorites last Saturday.
- Rutgers, which was a 2.5-point underdog, opened conference play with a 74-60 win at Maryland Monday. Junior G Ron Harper Jr. scored 19 of his game-high 27 points in the second half and the Scarlet Knights won their first Big Ten opener since joining the conference in 2014. Harper leads the Knights with 23.2 PPG, while junior C Myles Johnson averages a team-best 9.0 RPG.
- Illinois leads the all-time series vs. Rutgers 8-2 (7-2 in Big Ten games), but the Scarlet Knights won the last matchup 72-57 as 4.5-point favorites Feb. 15. Rutgers led 34-32 at the half and pulled away with a 38-25 second half. Harper scored a game-high 27 points in the Rutgers win.
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Illinois at Rutgers: Odds, betting lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Illinois 68, Rutgers 62
Money line (ML)
PASS. Rutgers opened as a 1-point favorite, but the line has moved in Illinois’ favor overnight. With it being so close, let’s just focus on the spread.
Against the spread (ATS)
ILLINOIS -1.5 (-120) is the STRONGEST PLAY – 1.5 times your usual wager. No question about it, Rutgers is playing well and has been very impressive, but you have to go all the way back to 1934-35 to find the last time a Scarlet Knights team opened a season with five consecutive double-digit victories.
This Illinois squad is at a different level. The Illini have the talent to win a national championship. With no full house at the RAC (Rutgers Athletic Center), talent wins out. HAMMER THE ILLINI -1.5 (-120)!
Over/Under (O/U)
Back the UNDER 144 (-105) with a HALF-UNIT WAGER. Illinois’ defense allows 64.6 PPG, while Rutgers yields 67.0 PPG. Look for a sluggish start in this Sunday afternoon matchup.
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’s 2020 CBK record / Strongest plays | 10-10 / 3-6 |
| 2019-20 CBK record / Strongest plays | 5-3 / 5-0 |
| 2020 overall record (all sports) | 169-134-3 |
| Strongest plays (all sports) | 82-54-1 |
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