Illinois Fighting Illini vs Michigan State Spartans NCAAB Betting Prediction

Illinois Fighting vs Michigan State Prediction 1/19/2025

The Illinois Fighting Illini (13-4) travel to face off against the Michigan State Spartans (15-2) on Sunday, January 19th. This game will be played at Breslin Center in East Lansing and televised on CBS. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 12:00 ET.

Illinois Fighting Illini vs Michigan State Spartans

The Fighting Illini Are Coming Off A Win

Illinois Fighting Illini Recent Game/Games

Illinois improved to 13-4 on the season with a dominant 94-69 win over Indiana on Tuesday. The Illini were -6 favorites going into the game and covered the spread, while the total points of 163 went over the 160.5 O/U line.

Illinois jumped out to a 60-32 lead in the first half but slowed down in the second, scoring 34 points and allowing 37.

The Spartans Are Coming Off A Win

Michigan State improved to 15-2 on the season with a 90-85 win over Penn State on Wednesday. The Spartans were -11.5 favorites going into the game, but they didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 175, surpassing the over/under line of 151.5.

Michigan State led 46-36 at halftime, but they allowed 49 points in the second half while scoring 44. Despite the win, their defense will need to tighten up as they move forward.

Fighting Illini Offense Breakdown

Illinois put up 94 points in their last game, shooting 40% from the field and 34.4% from three-point range, hitting 11 of 32 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 48%, and they excelled at the free-throw line, making 23 of 26 shots for an 88.5% success rate.

The Illini grabbed 16 offensive rebounds and dished out 14 assists. Kylan Boswell led the team with 22 points and 7 rebounds, while Kasparas Jakucionis added 21 points and 5 assists. Oumar Ballo contributed 16 points and 15 rebounds, and Tomislav Ivisic chipped in 17 points, hitting 3 of 6 from beyond the arc.

Spartans Offense Breakdown

Michigan State put up 90 points in their last game, shooting 47.1% from the field. They hit 57.8% of their two-point attempts, but struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 26.1% of their threes. At the free-throw line, they were solid, making 20 of 24 attempts for an 83.3% success rate.

The Spartans dished out 24 assists, with Ace Baldwin Jr. contributing 9 assists to go along with his 20 points. D’Marco Dunn and Frankie Fidler each added 18 points, with Dunn hitting 4 threes at a 57.1% clip. Zach Hicks also knocked down 4 threes, shooting 57.1% from deep.

Fighting Illini Team Defense

Illinois held their opponent to 69 points on 38% shooting from the field, with 25 made baskets on 65 attempts. The defense limited two-point shooting to 44%, as the opposing team made 21 of their 47 shots inside the arc.

From three-point range, Illinois allowed just 4 made threes on 18 attempts, a 22% shooting performance. The opponent also went 15/18 from the free-throw line, hitting 83% of their foul shots. Illinois gave up 8 offensive rebounds in the game.

Spartans Team Defense

Illinois held their opponent to 69 points, with a solid defensive effort that limited them to 38% shooting from the field. The Illini gave up 21 two-point baskets on 47 attempts, a 44% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, Illinois allowed just 4 three-pointers on 18 attempts, holding their opponent to 22% shooting. They also sent them to the line 18 times, where they hit 15 free throws, an 83% rate. Illinois gave up 8 offensive rebounds in the game.

Fighting Illini vs Spartans Trends

  • Through their last ten road games, Illinois has an ATS record of just 5-5. However, their overall record was 7-3 while averaging 80 points per game.
  • Across the Spartans last ten home games, the team averaged 74 points per game while allowing 70. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 8-2, while going 6-4 straight-up.
  • Looking back on the team’s last three games as the underdog, the Fighting Illini have a straight up record of 1-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 1-1-1.
  • In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Spartans have a strong straight up record of 3-0. In addition, their ATS record was 2-1 in these scenarios.

Fighting Illini vs Spartans Prediction

We’re calling a win for the Spartans, with a final score of 77-69, and we’re taking them to cover the spread. Our recommendation is to bet on the Spartans at -3.5.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 155.5, and our model projects the Fighting Illini and Spartans to reach a combined total of 146 points. Our bet is on taking the under.


All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!


* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.