Check out our free UIC vs Illinois State pick and preview for this NCAA Basketball game in Normal. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this College Basketball matchup.
UIC vs Illinois State Pick & Preview: Wednesday, February 1st Betting Odds
Flames vs Redbirds Matchup at a Glance
- Sport: NCAAB
- Teams: UIC Flames at Illinois State Redbirds
- Where: Normal at Redbird Arena
- Date: Wednesday, February 1st
- Betting Odds: UIC +6, ILLCHI +209 | ILLST -262 O/U 136.0
Flames Preview:
The UIC Flames head into today’s game in what will be their 24th game of the season, posting a record of 9-14. So far, the Flames have played 12 games on the road, with a record of 4-8. For the season, UIC has been the underdog in 15 games, sitting with a mark of 1-14. Currently, the oddsmakers have the lines set with the Flames being +6 point underdogs.
UIC’s leading scorer this season is Jace Carter, who is averaging 16.09 points per contest. So far, Carter has accounted for 23.99% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 6.48 rebounds per game and 1.43 assists. Toby Okani is the second leading scorer for the Flames, averaging 12.22 points per game. Between him and Okani, they are accounting for 42.2% of the team’s scoring.
Offensive production has been hard to come by for UIC this season, as they are currently ranked 174th in college basketball at 72.0 points per game. A major reason for low scoring totals is the fact that they have played at a below average pace, and have struggled to knock down outside shots. As a team, the Flames’ 3-point shooting percentage sits at just 32.4%, placing them 350th in the NCAA.
Redbirds Preview:
Heading into today’s matchup vs UIC, the Illinois State Redbirds will be taking the floor for the 24th time this season and have an overall record of 9-14. Currently, the Redbirds have been the home team 12 times, sitting with a record of 6-6. The Redbirds’ are sitting with a betting line that is -6 points in their favor. For the season, Illinois State has been favored to win in 10 games, sitting with a mark of 6-4.
Illinois State’s leading scorer this season is Seneca Knight, who is averaging 11.52 points per contest. So far, Knight has accounted for 16.95% of the team’s scoring. In addition, he is contributing 6.04 rebounds per game and 1.43 assists. Darius Burford is the second leading scorer for the Redbirds, averaging 11.41 points per game. Between him and Burford, they are accounting for 33.0% of the team’s scoring.
On offense, Illinois State comes into the game looking to control the pace of play, as they are just 286th in possessions per game. Even with their preference to slow the game down, the Redbirds’ are scoring at a rate similar to the NCAA average at 74.2 points per game. So far, 36.91% of their shots have come from beyond the arc, where they have connected at a rate of 36.4%.
Free Spread Prediction: UIC Flames +6
Heading into this matchup between the Illinois State Redbirds and UIC Flames we have a strong lean on taking the points with UIC at +6. Both team’s are going to come into this game looking to get up looks from outside, as they are both average team’s in terms of 3-pointers made per game. Look for UIC to benefit from facing another squad looking to turn this into a 3-point shooting contest. When looking at the line, we see tremendous value in taking the UIC Flames at +6. Go ahead and lock this bet in before tip-off.
