The Nebraska Cornhuskers (22-9) travel to face off against the Illinois Fighting Illini (23-8) on Saturday, March 16th. This game will be played at Target Center in Minneapolis and televised on CBS. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 3:00 ET.
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Illinois Fighting Illini
The Nebraska Cornhuskers Are Coming Off A Win
Nebraska heads into today’s game against Illinois as the underdog. So far this season, the Cornhuskers have gone 4-8 on the road, compared to a 19-1 record at home. Over their last ten games away from home, Nebraska has gone just 3-7.
On the year, Nebraska has gone 22-9, including a 13-8 record in Big Ten play. They are currently riding a three-game win streak, and in their most recent game, they defeated Indiana by a score of 93-66.
As the underdog, Nebraska has gone 5-7 against the spread on the road this season. Overall, their ATS mark is 21-10-1. In their last 10 games as the underdog, the Cornhuskers are 4-6 vs. the spread.
Today’s over/under line of 154.5 is higher than the average over/under line in Nebraska games this season (147.2). So far, the over/under record in their games is 21-11. In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 and the average scoring total in those games is 145 points.
The Illinois Fighting Illini Are Coming Off A Win
Illinois comes into this game as the favorite, as they have been in 26 of their 31 games this season. So far, they have gone 21-5 in these games.
At home, the Fighting Illini have been even better than their overall record of 23-8, going 17-3. Over their last ten games at home, they have gone 8-2.
As the favorite, Illinois has gone just 12-13-1 vs. the spread this season. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Fighting Illini are 5-5 ATS.
Today’s over/under line of 154.5 is higher than the average over/under line in Illinois’ games this year (149.8). This season, the over/under record in their games is 22-10 and their matchups have averaged 156.7 points. In their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 and their matchups have averaged 143 points compared to their season average of 156.7 points per game.
Nebraska Offense Breakdown
The Nebraska offense is coming off a game in which they scored 93 points vs. Indiana. Overall their field goal percentage was 50% while connecting on 14 threes. Offensively, the Cornhuskers hold a season-long field goal percentage of 45%, placing them 165th in the national rankings. When it comes to three-pointers, they are ranked 91st in terms of percentage and 24th in three-pointers made.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keisei Tominaga (G) | 14.8 | 2.3 | 1.4 |
| Brice Williams (G) | 12.8 | 5.5 | 2.4 |
| Rienk Mast (F) | 12.4 | 7.8 | 3.1 |
Illinois Offense Breakdown
The Illinois offense is coming off a game in which they scored 77 points vs. Ohio State. Overall their field goal percentage was 41.9% while connecting on 4 threes. The top scorer for the Fighting Illini was Terrence Shannon Jr. with 28 points, while Dain Dainja also added 18 to the scoreboard.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terrence Shannon Jr. (G) | 21.9 | 4.2 | 2.2 |
| Marcus Domask (F) | 15.7 | 4.8 | 3.5 |
| Coleman Hawkins (F) | 12.7 | 6.1 | 2.7 |
Nebraska Team Defense
Coming into today’s game, the Nebraska defense is giving up an average of 69.2 points per contest. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Nebraska’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 39.5% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 31.5% this season.
Illinois Team Defense
In terms of defense, Illinois is currently on par with the NCAA average for points allowed, giving up an average of 73.0 points per game. On average, opposing teams are hitting 6.0 threes per game vs. Nebraska. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 34.0%.
Cornhuskers vs Fighting Illini Trends
- In their last three road games, Nebraska has averaged 79 points per game while allowing 72. The team’s record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
- Through their last ten home games, Illinois has an ATS record of just 7-3. However, their overall record was 6-4 while averaging 85 points per game.
- Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Nebraska has an ATS mark of 1-2 while going 1-2 straight up.
- Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Fighting Illini have gone 5-5 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 8-2.
Cornhuskers vs Fighting Illini Prediction
For today’s matchup we are recommending to take the Fighting Illini to secure the win, with an expected final score of 76-69. When it comes to the spread, we believe they’ll cover at -4.5.
As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 154.5, and our model projects the Cornhuskers and Fighting Illini to reach a combined total of 145 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.
Last updated:March 16, 2024 Illinois Fighting Illini, Nebraska Cornhuskers