The Minnesota Golden Gophers (17-10) travel to face off against the Illinois Fighting Illini (20-7) on Wednesday, February 28th. This game will be played at State Farm Center in Champaign and televised on BTN. Illinois is coming off a win in their previous game, while Minnesota is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Nebraska. Tip-off is set for 9:00 ET.
Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Illinois Fighting Illini
The Minnesota Golden Gophers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Minnesota enters this game as 11.5-point underdogs, and they have gone 5-9 in 14 games as the underdog this season. The Golden Gophers are 17-10 overall, including an 8-8 record in Big Ten play.
On the road, Minnesota is just 2-7 this season, and they have lost three straight games away from home. For the year, their average scoring margin on the road is -7.8 points per game.
Minnesota has been a solid team against the spread this season, posting a record of 21-5-1. On the road, their ATS mark is 6-3 and they have gone 8-2 vs. the spread in their last 10 games as the underdog.
Minnesota’s over/under record this season sits at 15-12 and the average scoring total in their games is 145.7 points. Today’s over/under line of 155.5 is higher than the average OU line in their games (143.4). So far, 18 of their games have finished with more points than today’s OU line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 148 points and their over/under record during this stretch is 2-1.
The Illinois Fighting Illini Are Coming Off A Win
Illinois has been great at home this season, going 15-2 in their 17 games. They have also won their last five games at home. Overall, they are 20-7, and they have gone 11-5 in Big Ten play.
So far, the Fighting Illini have been favored in 22 of their games, going 18-4 in those matchups. They have a scoring margin of +15.9 points per game at home, compared to +4.8 on the road.
As the favorite this season, Illinois has gone 11-10-1 vs. the spread. Their home ATS mark is 8-8-1, including a 2-1 record in their last 3 games and a 5-4-1 mark in their last 10. Overall, the Illini have an ATS record of 14-11-2 this year.
This season, the over/under record for Illinois games is 19-8. So far, the average scoring total in their games is 155.7 points. Today’s over/under line of 155.5 is similar to their season-long average OU line of 148.2. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 174 points and their over/under record in their past 10 games is 9-1.
Minnesota Offense Breakdown
Minnesota offense recently wrapped up a game with a total of 55 points against Nebraska. In that game, they made 6/23 three-point attempts and achieved a field goal percentage of 31%. Leading the team in scoring was Cam Christie with 14 points. Dawson Garcia also added 10 points for the Golden Gophers.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson Garcia (F) | 17.3 | 6.6 | 1.8 |
| Cam Christie (G) | 11.2 | 3.6 | 2.3 |
| Mike Mitchell Jr. (G) | 10.3 | 2.6 | 2.9 |
Illinois Offense Breakdown
The Illinois offense is coming off a game in which they scored 95 points vs. Iowa. Overall their field goal percentage was 49.2% while connecting on 10 threes. Leading Illinois in scoring vs. Iowa was Coleman Hawkins with his 30 points. Terrence Shannon Jr. also added 12 points for the Fighting Illini.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terrence Shannon Jr. (G) | 21.6 | 4.3 | 2.3 |
| Marcus Domask (F) | 15.3 | 4.7 | 3.4 |
| Coleman Hawkins (F) | 13.0 | 6.0 | 2.8 |
Minnesota Team Defense
So far, the Golden Gophers’ defense is ranked 114th in the country at 69.8 points per contest. Minnesota’s three-point defense is currently 57th in the country at 6.0 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 42.9% of their shots vs. Minnesota.
Illinois Team Defense
At present, the Fighting Illini’s defense is nationally ranked 176th, allowing 72.0 points per game. In today’s game vs. Minnesota, the Illinois defense will be looking to do a better job avoiding putting opponents on the line. In their last game, Illinois made 23 free-throws vs. the Fighting Illini.
Golden Gophers vs Fighting Illini Trends
- Although Minnesota has a straight up record of 2-8 in their last ten road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 6-4. The team averaged 68 points per game in these games.
- In their last five games at home, the Fighting Illini have a straight up record of 2-3 while going 2-3 vs. the spread. The team averaged 86 points per game in this stretch.
- In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Golden Gophers have a straight up record of 0-3 and an ATS mark of 2-1.
- Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Fighting Illini have a straight up record of 8-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 6-4.
Golden Gophers vs Fighting Illini Prediction
For a pick on the point-spread in this Fighting Illini vs. Golden Gophers matchup, our bet is to grab the Golden Gophers at +11.5. Even though our projections have the Fighting Illini winning 75-69, we see the Golden Gophers as the play on the point-spread.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 155.5 and our model has the Golden Gophers and Fighting Illini finishing with a combined 144 points. Our pick is to take 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.
Last updated:February 28, 2024 Illinois Fighting Illini, Minnesota Golden Gophers