The Illinois Fighting Illini (4-5) face off against the Yale Bulldogs (5-3) at State Farm Center. The game gets underway at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Dec. 9 and can be seen on ES3.
The Fighting Illini defeated Western Carolina 80-68 on Saturday. Michael Finke fueled the Fighting Illini with 24 points, six rebounds, and two assists. The Bulldogs are coming off a 72-54 win over Vermont on Saturday. Justin Sears had a good game, registering 17 points and 10 rebounds to claim his first double-double of the season.
Illinois, a four-point favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Yale. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at 140 points. The Fighting Illini have gone 4-5 Straight Up (SU) and 3-3-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of the Illinois offense, which averages just 11.1 turnovers per game.
Across the court, the Bulldogs head into the game with records of 2-1 ATS and 5-3 SU. The Bulldogs are a force on the boards, grabbing an average of 41.9 rebounds per game. When it comes to defending the rim, the Bulldogs are one of the best in the nation with an average of 5.5 blocks per game.
This game marks the first time Illinois and Yale have played one another in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Yale, ATS Winner – Yale, O/U – Over
Notes
Illinois is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games.
Illinois has an average field goal percentage of 45.8%. Yale is a losing 1-3 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Illinois Fighting Illini rank lower for their field goal percentage (111th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (104th), but the Yale Bulldogs have a better FG% ranking (217th) than eFG% ranking (224th).
Yale ranks 94th in assists, recording 15.0 per game. Illinois performs worse at 133rd with 14.3 assists per game.
Yale, the 29th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.5 per game. Illinois does worse, ranked 336th with 1.7.
When it comes to offensive rebounds, Yale ranks 12th. Illinois ranks 257th in defensive rebounds.
Illinois has forced an average turnover rate of 17.8% this season. In games where its turnover rate is 17.8% or higher, Yale is an even 3-3.
