Check out our free Illinois vs Iowa pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Iowa City. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
Illinois vs Iowa Pick & Preview: Saturday, February 4th Betting Odds
Fighting Illini vs Hawkeyes Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: Illinois Fighting Illini at Iowa Hawkeyes
- Where: Iowa City at Carver-Hawkeye Arena
- Date: Saturday, February 4th
- Betting Odds: Illinois +3, ILL +129 | IOWA -158 O/U 152.5
Fighting Illini Preview:
The Illinois Fighting Illini head into today’s game in what will be their 23rd game of the season, posting a record of 16-6. So far, the Fighting Illini have played 9 games on the road, with a record of 5-4. For the season, Illinois has been the underdog in 3 games, sitting with a mark of 2-1. Currently, the oddsmakers have the lines set with the Fighting Illini being +3 point underdogs.
Illinois’ leading scorer this season is Terrence Shannon Jr., who is averaging 17.23 points per contest. So far, Jr. has accounted for 22.97% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 5.23 rebounds per game and 3.14 assists. Matthew Mayer is the second leading scorer for the Fighting Illini, averaging 11.5 points per game. Between him and Mayer, they are accounting for 38.3% of the team’s scoring.
So far this season, Illinois has put together a strong scoring offense at 75.8 points per game (66th). This strong figure has come despite the Fighting Illini playing at a slow tempo compared to other schools. For the season, they have hit 36.7% of their shots from outside, which is closer to the NCAA average. Illinois’ overall field goal percentage currently sits at 45.3%
Hawkeyes Preview:
The Iowa will take the floor in today’s game in the middle of a 2 game win streak and have an overall record of 14-8. Currently, the Hawkeyes have been the home team 15 times, sitting with a record of 12-3. The Hawkeyes’ are sitting with a betting line that is -3 points in their favor. For the season, Iowa has been favored to win in 16 games, sitting with a mark of 12-4.
Iowa will be counting on another strong performance from the team’s leading scorer Kris Murray who is averaging 20.56 points per game for the Hawkeyes. Murray is also important to the team’s ability to score on the perimeter. So far, he leads the team in 3-point shots made. Also key to the Hawkeyes’ offensive game plan is the play of Filip Rebraca who has hit 57.3% of his field goal attempts on his way to averaging 13.95 points per game.
So far this season, Iowa has put together a strong scoring offense at 83.8 points per game (7th). This strong figure has come despite the Hawkeyes playing at a slow tempo compared to other schools. For the season, they have hit 36.8% of their shots from outside, which is closer to the NCAA average. Iowa’s overall field goal percentage currently sits at 46.4%
Free Spread Prediction: Iowa Hawkeyes -3
Heading into this matchup, with the Iowa Hawkeyes sitting as -3 point favorites, we like them to pick up the win and cover the spread. Both team’s will be coming into the game looking to get up shots from outside, as Iowa and Illinois are averaging 9.29 and 9.23 made 3’s per game, respectively. One trend that we feel strongly about is the fact that Iowa has historically performed well against the spread at home, going 6-4 ATS (last 10). Before tonight’s matchup, we recommend getting a wager down on the Hawkeyes to cover at -3.
