The Illinois Fighting Illini (15-8) travel to face off against the Minnesota Golden Gophers (12-11) on Saturday, February 8th. This game will be played at Williams Arena in Minneapolis and televised on BTN. Minnesota is coming off a win in their previous game, while Illinois is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rutgers. Tip-off is set for 6:00 ET.

Illinois Fighting Illini vs Minnesota Golden Gophers

The Fighting Illini Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Illinois Fighting Illini Recent Game/Games

Illinois dropped to 15-8 on the season after an 82-73 road loss to Rutgers on Wednesday. The Illini went into the game as 6-point favorites but failed to cover the spread.

After trailing 37-29 at halftime, Illinois scored 44 points in the 2nd half but allowed 45. The total points for the game were 155, just under the O/U line of 157.5.

The Golden Gophers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Minnesota improved to 12-11 on the season with a 69-61 win over Penn State on Tuesday. The Gophers, who were +7 point underdogs, not only pulled off the upset but also covered the spread. The game’s total points of 130 fell short of the 140.5 O/U line.

After trailing 25-21 at halftime, Minnesota turned things around by scoring 48 points in the 2nd half while holding Penn State to 36 points.

Fighting Illini Offense Breakdown

Illinois put up 73 points in their last game, shooting 41.5% from the field. They struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 21.4% (6/28), but connected on 56.8% of their two-point attempts.

Dylan Harper led the way with 28 points, shooting 60% from three (3/5) and adding 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Ace Bailey also contributed 18 points and 11 rebounds, while the Illini grabbed 18 offensive boards as a team.

Golden Gophers Offense Breakdown

In their last game, the Golden Gophers put up 69 points, shooting 53.1% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 57.1%. They hit 60% of their two-point attempts and connected on 35.7% from beyond the arc, going 5-for-14 from three-point range.

At the free-throw line, Minnesota converted 80%, making 12 of 15 attempts. Dawson Garcia led the team with 19 points and 14 rebounds, while D’Marco Dunn added 18 points, hitting 2 of 4 from three. Brennan Rigsby was perfect from the field, going 5-for-5, including 2-for-2 from three-point land.

Fighting Illini Team Defense

Illinois gave up 82 points despite holding their opponent to 40% shooting from the field. The Fighting Illini allowed 24 made field goals on 59 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Illinois’ defense saw their opponent hit 6 threes on 16 attempts, a 37% clip. They also sent them to the line 34 times, where they converted 28 free throws.

Golden Gophers Team Defense

Illinois gave up 82 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 40% from the field on 24 of 59 attempts. They allowed 41% shooting on two-pointers, with the other team hitting 18 of 43.

From beyond the arc, Illinois’ defense allowed 6 threes on 16 attempts, a 37% shooting rate. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 34 times, where they converted 28 for 82%. Illinois gave up 16 offensive rebounds.

Fighting Illini vs Golden Gophers Trends

• Through their last five road games, Illinois has an ATS record of just 1-4. However, their overall record was 2-3 while averaging 80 points per game.
• When looking at their past ten home matchups, Minnesota has an ATS record of 4-6 while averaging 64 per game. The team went 3-7 overall in these games.
• Minnesota has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 4-1 SU and 4-1 ATS in their last five games.
• Looking back on the team’s last three games as the favorite, the Fighting Illini have a straight up record of 1-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 1-2.

Fighting Illini vs Golden Gophers Prediction

Entering the game as underdogs with a spread of +7.5, the Golden Gophers is our point spread pick. Our projections not only see them covering the spread but also indicate a solid chance of an outright victory. This is a good choice for those looking for a higher moneyline payout.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 144.5, and our model projects the Fighting Illini and Golden Gophers to reach a combined total of 145 points. Our bet is on taking the over.

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

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* 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.