This matchup between the Illinois Fighting Illini and Missouri Tigers will take place at Scottrade Center. The game starts at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Dec. 23 and will air on ES2 and ES3.
The Tigers lost to North Carolina State 73-59 on Saturday. Cullen VanLeer finished with 12 points to lead the team. The Fighting Illini, meanwhile, are coming off a 91-79 win over South Dakota on Saturday. Malcolm Hill had a good game, posting 34 points and 11 rebounds to claim his third double-double of the season.
Hill has been on a tear over the last five games for the Fighting Illini, averaging 21.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.4 blocks, and 1.6 three-pointers.
The Fighting Illini should minimize miscues in this matchup. They rank 12th in the nation at avoiding errors (TO% of 14.7%). Meanwhile, Missouri forces the 38th-fewest mistakes in the nation, with just 16.2% of opponents’ possessions ending in a turnover.
Missouri, a four-point underdog, will look to capitalize at home against Illinois. The matchup currently has a 145-point Over/Under (O/U). The Tigers are looking to improve on their records of 5-5 Straight Up (SU) and 6-3 Against The Spread (ATS).
On the other side, the Fighting Illini head into the game with records of 4-4-2 ATS and 7-5 SU. The Fighting Illini rarely make costly errors handling the ball. They have the 30th-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the country at 1.47. The Fighting Illini are in for a physical game against Missouri. The Tigers are not afraid to send opponents to the free throw line, averaging 22.5 fouls per game.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time Missouri and Illinois played, Illinois won, moving its SU record against Missouri to 6-4 in their most recent head-to-head meetings. The teams have an even record ATS, 5-5. Neither Missouri nor Illinois has led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers) over their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ill, ATS Winner – Missou, O/U – Over
Notes
Illinois is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
Illinois is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing Missouri.
Ranked 98th, the Illinois Fighting Illini have an offensive rating of 110.0. The Missouri Tigers rank 284th with a defensive rating of just 107.9.
The Illinois Fighting Illini average a field goal percentage of 45.6% this season. The Missouri Tigers are a winless 0-2 when opponents have a FG% of 45.6% or greater.
The Missouri Tigers rank higher based on their field goal percentage (209th) than their effective field goal percentage (233rd). The Illinois Fighting Illini rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (89th) than their field goal percentage (100th).
Illinois ranks 88th in assists, recording 15.2 per game. Missouri performs worse at 267th with 12.1 assists per game.
The Missouri Tigers make an average of 5.6 steals per game. When the Illinois Fighting Illini allow 5 or more steals, they are a winning 5-3.
