The Penn State Nittany Lions (12-3) travel to face off against the Illinois Fighting Illini (11-3) on Wednesday, January 8th. 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 Penn State is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Indiana. Tip-off is set for 9:00 ET.

Penn State Nittany Lions vs Illinois Fighting Illini

The Nittany Lions Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Penn State’s season record dropped to 12-3 after a 77-71 home loss to Indiana on Sunday. The Nittany Lions, who were -7.5 favorites, not only lost the game but also failed to cover the spread.

The game’s total points reached 148, falling short of the 157.5 O/U line. After a 29-29 first half, Penn State allowed 48 points in the second half while scoring 42 of their own.

The Fighting Illini Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Illinois improved to 11-3 on the season with an 81-77 win over Washington on Sunday. The Illini were -7 favorites going into the game but didn’t cover the spread. The total points of 158 went over the pre-game line of 154.5.

Illinois led 42-31 at halftime but allowed 46 points in the 2nd half while scoring 39. Despite the win, the Illini will need to tighten up their defense moving forward.

Nittany Lions Offense Breakdown

In their last game, Penn State’s offense put up 71 points, shooting 46% from the field. They struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 3 of 21 attempts for a 14.3% success rate, while their effective field goal percentage was 47.6%.

Inside the arc, the Nittany Lions were strong, connecting on 61.9% of their two-point attempts. They also grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and dished out 13 assists, with Oumar Ballo leading the way with 25 points and 13 rebounds.

Fighting Illini Offense Breakdown

Illinois put up 81 points in their last game, shooting 47% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 51.5%, with a strong 65% shooting inside the arc, but they struggled from three-point range, hitting just 5 of 26 attempts for 19.2%.

The Illini grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and dished out 10 assists. DJ Davis led the way with 31 points, connecting on 7 of 14 threes, while Kasparas Jakucionis contributed 18 points and 6 assists.

Nittany Lions Team Defense

Even with Penn State’s defense allowing 77 points, they managed to limit damage from beyond the arc, holding their opponent to just 3 made threes on 21 attempts, a 14% shooting rate. However, the Nittany Lions struggled to contain two-point shots, with their opponent hitting 61% from inside the arc, going 26/42.

On the free-throw line, Penn State sent their opponent to the stripe 17 times, where they converted 10 free throws, shooting 58%. The Nittany Lions also gave up 11 offensive rebounds in the game.

Fighting Illini Team Defense

Despite Penn State’s defensive struggles, they managed to limit the opposing team to just 3 made threes on 21 attempts, a 14% shooting performance from beyond the arc. However, the Nittany Lions couldn’t contain the inside game, allowing 26 two-point field goals on 42 attempts, with the other team shooting 61% from inside the arc.

On the free-throw line, Penn State sent the opposing team to the stripe 17 times, where they converted 10 of those attempts, shooting 58%. The Nittany Lions also gave up 11 offensive rebounds in this game.

Nittany Lions vs Fighting Illini Trends

• When looking at their past three road matchups, Penn State has an ATS record of 0-3 while averaging 72 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
• In their last five games at home, the Fighting Illini have a straight up record of 3-2 while going 1-4 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 77 points per game in these contests.
• In their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Nittany Lions have a straight up record of 2-8 and an ATS mark of 4-4-2.
• Through their last five matchups as the betting favorite, the Fighting Illini have a good straight up record, but their ATS mark is just 1-4.

Nittany Lions vs Fighting Illini Prediction

When looking to get a point-spread pick down in this Fighting Illini vs. Fighting Illini game, our recommendation is to take the Fighting Illini at -9.5. Despite our model showing the Fighting Illini winning 76-70, we like Nittany Lions as our point-spread pick.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 163.5 and our model has the Nittany Lions and Fighting Illini finishing with a combined 146 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.