Every Game Counts For Illinois Down The Stretch
The Nittany Lions Are Cooked Following These Illinois vs Penn State Lines
The Illinois Fighting Illini are still in a position to earn the Big Ten Regular Season Title this NCAAB season.
Illinois is 19-6 and currently ranked No. 12 in the AP Poll heading into Wednesday’s tilt against Penn State on the road.
The Penn State Nittany Lions have lost three consecutive games and just dismissed a player on the program, likely due to academics.
The Nittany Lions are just 12-14 on the season and more than likely won’t be playing any postseason basketball this year.
This team lost to Bucknell and Georgia Tech earlier in the season and are now 6-9 in conference play. We’ve seen countless hot-and-cold stretches from the Nittany Lions. Lately, they’ve been cold.
Therefore, oddsmakers have Ilinois sitting at -8 (-110), with the total currently at 157.5.
Check out the Illinois vs Penn State lines for this early Big Ten matchup.
Illinois Fighting Illini vs Penn State Nittany Lions
Day/Time:
Location Bryce Jordan Center
Streaming: BTN
Illinois vs Penn State Lines & Trends
Illinois has gone 14-9-2 against the spread this year. It’s been a profitable season for Illinois backers and the Over in Illinois games. The Over has hit in 17 of 25 games this season.
However, Illinois is just 4-4 on the road this season.
Meanwhile, the Fighting Illini will face Penn State, who has gone 9-4 at home this season. Still, the Nittany Lions are just 12-14 against the spread.
What stands out more is Penn State’s 16 Overs in 26 games this year.
Head-to-head, Penn State and Illinois have hit the Over in two consecutive games. Penn State has also defeated Illinois in three straight games.
The Nittany Lions have been underdogs in those last three college football games, but still added straight-up wins in those matchups.
Don’t Sleep On Illinois’s Offense
Over the last two months, the Illinois offense has been ranked the No. 1 offense in America.
The Fighting Illini have an adjusted efficiency of 123.5 on offense, which is fifth in all college basketball this season.
The squad has won four of its last five games. In each matchup, Illinois scored at least 80 points. Yes, they even hit 80 points in a loss to Michigan State on the road.
The defense isn’t as reliable as the offense. But the offense will always keep Illinois in games. There’s a potential that Illinois will only be underdogs in one more game in the regular NCAAB season. That game would be against Purdue, which would be huge for the regular season Big Ten Championship.
Kanye Clary Dismissed From Penn State
There’s no official reason why Kanye Clary was dismissed from Penn State. However, Clary was the leading scorer for the Nittany Lions before his dismissal.
He had scored 16.7 points per game and added 2.9 rebounds with 2.8 assists in nearly 30 minutes per game.
The rumors are that Clary was academically ineligible. There were also instances where his family member posted on Penn State’s Facebook page talking about the family’s unhappiness with Penn State’s staff.
It could’ve been a chain reaction. But you don’t just dismiss your top scorer for something minor. Again, everything out on social media is just a rumor. Nothing is confirmed.
With his absence, Penn State only has one player averaging double-figures this season in points.
Illinois Will Get Many Second Chances
The Illinois Fighting Illini have shot 34.3% from deep and 54.4% from inside the arc. While Illinois doesn’t take threes at a tremendously high rate, the Fighting Illini are still taking threes at an above-average rate.
They’ll want to battle Penn State down low more.
Penn State has given up 53% from inside the arc and has also allowed 33% of offensive rebounds per game this season.
The Nittany Lions are known for forcing a high rate of turnovers. It’s just unlikely they’ll do that against Illinois, who has only turned the ball over 15.4% of the time.
The Fighting Illini have also earned 35.6% of offensive rebounds per game. Therefore, Illinois will likely dominate the offensive glass and earn many second-chance points in this game.
Don’t be shocked if Illinois also finds itself on the foul line at a high rate in this game.
Meanwhile, Penn State takes threes more consistently than Illinois. But the Nittany Lions are shooting 32.7% from deep this season. That rate won’t get any higher against an Illinois squad with limited teams to 31.9% from three.
Illinois has also kept teams to 45.1% from inside the arc and allowed 25.9% of offensive rebounds this season.
The Nittany Lions are weak on the offensive glass and likely won’t get to the foul line nearly as much as Illinois, even at home.
The Nittany Lions will drop to the bottom of the Big Ten basketball standings by the end of the year, while Illinois will play for a Championship in March Madness.
Therefore, we’ll take Illinois on the road at -8 (-110). The Over is appealing, but it’s unlikely Illinois will struggle against Penn State’s defense. We’re less sure about Penn State’s offense after looking at the Illinois vs Penn State lines.
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