The Ohio State Buckeyes (20-12) and Illinois Fighting Illini (23-8) clash in a Friday Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal in Minneapolis. Tip-off at the Target Center is 6:30 p.m. ET (Big Ten Network). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Ohio State vs. Illinois odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
The 10th-seeded Buckeyes advanced after a 90-78 conquest of the No. 7 Iowa Hawkeyes on Thursday. OSU covered as a 2 1/2-point favorite and is 5-0 straight up and 5-0 ATS since Feb. 24.
Illinois, ranked No. 14 in the , last played Sunday at Iowa, covering a 1 1/2-point spread in a 73-61 triumph over the Hawkeyes. The Big Ten’s 2nd-leading team in scoring (83.9 points per game) went 14-6 in circuit play and is the No. 2 seed in this tournament.
Illinois defeated OSU 87-75 (covering as a -2.5) in a regular-season meeting on Jan. 30. The winner of this contest will advance to a Saturday semifinal.