It will be a battle between Big Ten opponents when the Penn State Nittany Lions (15-15) welcome the Illinois Fighting Illini (13-17) to Bryce Jordan Center. The game starts at 12:00 pm ET on Sunday, Mar. 6 and will air on BTN.
The Nittany Lions were beaten by Northwestern 71-61 on Thursday. Josh Reaves was the top performer for the Nittany Lions, finishing with 11 points, five assists, and four rebounds. The Fighting Illini are coming off an ugly 81-55 loss to Maryland on Thursday. Maverick Morgan scored 21 points and recorded 10 rebounds earning his first double-double of the season.
The Nittany Lions look to improve upon their records of 15-15 Straight Up (SU) and 13-15-1 Against The Spread (ATS).
Across the court, the Fighting Illini head into the game with records of 12-13-3 ATS and 13-17 SU. The Fighting Illini will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent offensive struggles. In their most recent 10 games, their scoring has dropped to 61.2 PPG, compared to 64.9 for the duration of the season. Illinois is one of the top foul-shooting teams in the nation, converting .741 of their shots from the line. Don’t expect Illinois to give away the ball much on offense, where its 10.4 turnovers per game ranks 20th in the country.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time these conference rivals played, Illinois won, moving its SU record against Penn State to 7-3 in their most recent head-to-head meetings. The Nittany Lions hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4. Penn State and Illinois each held the edge in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) once in their last five meetings.
Predictions: SU Winner – PSU, ATS Winner – PSU
Notes
“Penn State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games “.
“Penn State is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games at home”.
“The total has gone OVER in 6 of Penn State’s last 9 games at home”.
“Penn State is 11-4 ATS in its last 15 games when playing Illinois”.
“Penn State is 1-5 SU in its last 6 games when playing Illinois”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Penn State’s last 5 games when playing Illinois”.
“Penn State is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing at home against Illinois”.
“Penn State is 5-10 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Illinois”.
“Illinois is 10-5 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Penn State”.
Illinois averages 72.1 points per game, placing the team just 160th in the nation. Penn State ranks 94th in points allowed, giving up 69.0 points per game.
Illinois beats Penn State in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Fighting Illini average 69.4 possessions and 1.039 points per possession, while the Nittany Lions average 65.1 possessions with .997 points per possession.
The Illinois Fighting Illini average an effective field goal percentage of 50.0% this season. The Penn State Nittany Lions have an abysmal record of 1-12 when opponents have an eFG% of 50.0% or greater.
Penn State attempts an average of 20.0 three pointers per game and Illinois attempts 22.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Penn State Nittany Lions have a 10-9 record while the Illinois Fighting Illini have an 8-12 record.
Penn State, the 69th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.3 per game. Illinois does worse, ranked 336th with 1.9.
Penn State has forced an average turnover percentage of 17.9% this season. Illinois has a subpar 4-7 record when its TO% is 17.9% or higher.
