The Illinois Fighting Illini (6-1) travel to face off against the Northwestern Wildcats (6-3) on Friday, December 6th. This game will be played at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston and televised on BTN. Illinois is coming off a win in their previous game, while Northwestern is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Iowa. Tip-off is set for 9:00 ET.

Illinois Fighting Illini vs Northwestern Wildcats

The Fighting Illini Are Coming Off A Win

Illinois Fighting Illini Recent Game/Games

Illinois improved to 6-1 on the season with a 90-77 home win over Arkansas on Thursday. The Illini, who were favored by 4.5 points, covered the spread, and the game’s total points of 167 exceeded the over/under line of 155.

Illinois took control early, leading 49-34 at halftime. While they allowed 43 points in the second half, they still managed to score 41 points of their own to secure the win.

The Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win

Northwestern Wildcats Recent Game/Games

Northwestern fell to 6-3 on the season after a narrow 80-79 loss to Iowa on Tuesday. The Wildcats, who were +5.5 point underdogs, managed to cover the spread. The total points for the game reached 159, surpassing the O/U line of 148.

After trailing 45-34 at halftime, Northwestern made a strong push in the 2nd half, outscoring Iowa 45-35, but it wasn’t enough to complete the comeback.

Fighting Illini Offense Breakdown

Illinois put up 90 points in their last game, shooting 52.6% from the field and hitting 48.4% from beyond the arc, connecting on 15 threes. Their effective field goal percentage was an impressive 66.7%.

Adou Thiero led the way with 26 points and 6 rebounds, while Kasparas Jakucionis added 23 points and 4 assists. Tomislav Ivisic contributed 21 points, hitting 6 of 9 threes and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Wildcats Offense Breakdown

Northwestern’s offense put up 79 points in their last game, shooting 48.3% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 55%. They connected on 38.1% of their threes, hitting 8 of 21 attempts, and were solid from the line, shooting 81.2% (13/16). The Wildcats also grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and dished out 13 assists.

Josh Dix led the way with 22 points and 6 rebounds, shooting 56.2% from the field. Brooks Barnhizer added 21 points and 10 boards, while Payton Sandfort and Ty Berry each contributed 20 points, with Berry hitting 5 threes at a 55.6% clip. Nick Martinelli added 19 points, and Owen Freeman was efficient, shooting 77.8% from the field. Brock Harding chipped in 12 points and 8 assists.

Fighting Illini Team Defense

Illinois struggled defensively, giving up 77 points while allowing the opposition to shoot 52% from the field. The Illini couldn’t contain the two-point shooting, with opponents hitting 57% of their attempts.

From beyond the arc, Illinois allowed 15 threes on 31 attempts, a 48% shooting performance. They also sent the other team to the line 22 times, where they converted 68% of their free throws.

Wildcats Team Defense

Illinois struggled defensively, giving up 77 points on 52% shooting from the field. They allowed 30 made field goals on 57 attempts.

From beyond the arc, Illinois allowed 15 threes on 31 attempts, a 48% shooting performance. They also sent the opposing team to the line 22 times, where they made 15 free throws.

Fighting Illini vs Wildcats Trends

• The Fighting Illini are 2-1 ATS in their three last road games and 2-1 straight-up.
• In their last five games at home, the Wildcats have a straight up record of 1-4 while going 2-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 67 points per game in this stretch.
• Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Northwestern has an ATS mark of 1-2 while going 0-3 straight up.
• Illinois has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 5-0 SU and 5-0 ATS in their last five games.

Fighting Illini vs Wildcats Prediction

Coming in as the underdogs at +3.5, we have the Wildcats as the way to go on the point spread. Not only do we have them covering, but our projections show they have a good one of winning this one straight-up, if you’re looking for a higher payout on the moneyline.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 143.5, and our model predicts the Fighting Illini and Wildcats to score a combined 145 points. We recommend betting on 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.