The No. 25 Illinois Fighting Illini (16-6, 7-4 Big Ten) visit the Iowa Hawkeyes (14-8, 6-5) in a Big Ten battle Saturday afternoon. The contest at Carver-Hawkeye Arena will tip off at 2:30 p.m. ET (FOX). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Illinois vs. Iowa odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
Illinois is 7-1 straight up and against the spread since Jan. 7. Despite playing at a quick tempo, the Illini has posted solid defensive numbers of late. Over that 7-1 stretch, UI has held foes under 61 points 5 times.
The Hawkeyes lost a pair of road games Jan. 21 at Ohio State and Jan. 26 at Michigan State, but they have bounced back with 2-straight wins (straight up and against the spread) at home. Iowa has won 5 in a row on home hardwood and is 11-2 at home this season.