Big Ten foes will collide when the No. 25 Indiana Hoosiers (15-3) face the Illinois Fighting Illini (9-9) at Assembly Hall. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Jan. 19 and can be seen on ESP and ES3.
The Hoosiers enter this game hoping for similar success after topping Minnesota 70-63 on Saturday. Yogi Ferrell was the game’s leading scorer with 20 points on 6-for-17 shooting. The Fighting Illini, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 78-67 loss against Nebraska on Saturday. Malcolm Hill led the team in scoring with 17 points.
When evaluating eFG%, the Hoosiers could have a healthy advantage on offense. They’re ranked second in the nation in that category at 60.5%, while the suspect defense of Illinois is ranked 330th in eFG% defense, allowing opponents to connect at a rate of 54.1% this year.
This one isn’t expected to be close when Indiana, a big 12-point favorite, takes on Illinois. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently 154 points. The Hoosiers have gone 15-3 Straight Up (SU) and 9-9 Against The Spread (ATS). The Hoosiers have no trouble scoring as they rank ninth in the nation in offense with 85.0 points per game. The Hoosiers are one of the best in Division I in terms of three-point field goals, making 9.0 shots per game from beyond the arc. Indiana is one of the best passing teams in the nation with an average of 16.7 assists per game.
In the other locker room, the Fighting Illini have 9-9 SU and 6-7-3 ATS records. The Fighting Illini are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking 30th in Division I at 1.47.
This game marks the season’s first head-to-head clash between these conference foes. Their previous game was a Hoosiers victory, bringing the head-to-head record to an even 5-5 SU over their most recent meetings. On the other hand, Indiana holds the advantage ATS with a record of 6-3-1. Neither team held the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers in a single game during this span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ind, ATS Winner – Ind, O/U – Over
Notes
Indiana is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Indiana’s last 5 games.
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
Indiana is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Indiana is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Illinois.
Indiana hasn’t lost a game against any of its Big Ten Conference opponents, sitting at 5-0. Illinois, on the other hand, has a losing 1-4 SU record against these teams.
Illinois has allowed an average of 71.3 points per away game this season. Indiana averages 89.9 points per home game, ranking eighth in scoring.
The Indiana Hoosiers have a defensive rating of 97.3 (ranked 75th), while the Illinois Fighting Illini have an offensive rating of 107.2 (ranked 139th).
Indiana has the third-ranked average field goal percentage at 52.0%. Illinois has not won a game this season when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage (0-3).
Indiana attempts an average of 22.0 three pointers per game and Illinois attempts 23.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Indiana Hoosiers have a tremendous 10-2 record while the Illinois Fighting Illini have a 5-6 record.
Illinois ranks 30th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.47. Indiana is ranked lower at 142nd with an A/TO of 1.11.
Indiana, the 100th-ranked team in rebounding, register an average of 38.3 rebounds per game. Illinois does worse, ranked 333rd with 31.6.
Illinois makes an average of 5.4 steals per game. Indiana has an exceptional 14-2 record when it allows at least 5 steals.
