It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Penn State-Illinois prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Penn State-Illinois.
There are so many juicy, delicious conference games in college hoops for Wednesday, January 8. This is one of the better items on the docket. Penn State clobbered Purdue at home, beat Northwestern at home, and has shown considerable upside at several points this season under coach Mike Rhoades. However, the Nittany Lions have also stepped into some potholes, including in their most recent game this past Sunday in The Palestra in Philadelphia. Penn State played close to home, but not in its on-campus building in State College. The Nittany Lions were solidly outplayed by Indiana and lost to the Hoosiers as a clear-cut favorite. Penn State went off as a -350 moneyline favorite in some places, as high as -375 in others, and yet Indiana took charge of that contest and built a double-digit lead en route to a 77-71 win over the Nittany Lions.
Penn State has upside, as we can see in the games when everything goes just right for the Nittany Lions. However, this team does have a problem winning games in which the opponent throws the first punch or a very big roundhouse delivery. Penn State has to be better at counterpunching when the opponent makes a move. Indiana dominated large swaths of Sunday’s game, and Penn State wasn’t able to steer the contest in a different direction. Coming off the Indiana loss, PSU has a lot to prove and could really use a season-changing win on the road in the Big Ten.
It won’t be easy. Penn State’s opponent is on fire and is a real contender for the Big Ten regular-season conference championship.
Illinois is balling right now. Brad Underwood has his guys rolling. We all wondered what life would be like in the new and expanded 18-school Big Ten Conference. How would the Midwestern teams in the league handle those long Pac-12 road trips to the West Coast? Illinois offered its answer this past week by winning at Oregon and Washington. The Oregon win was one of the most impressive single-game performances you will see all season. Illinois scored 109 points, 64 of them in the second half, and blasted the Ducks — a good team — by 32 on the road. Illinois was then able to go to Seattle a few days later and withstand a good, vigorous effort from underdog Washington to grab another road conference win. Illinois consistently led in that game but was able to absorb a few different Washington runs to hold on. That’s an excellent week of basketball from a team which looks like a legitimate threat to make the Sweet 16 and maybe even return to the Elite Eight, which the Illini did last year before losing to eventual national champion UConn.
Here are the Penn State-Illinois College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Penn State-Illinois Odds
Penn State: +8.5 (-118)
Moneyline: +320
Illinois: -8.5 (-104)
Moneyline: -420
Over: 163.5 (-112)
Under: 163.5 (-108)
How to Watch Penn State vs Illinois
Time: 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT
TV: Big Ten Network
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Penn State Will Cover The Spread/Win
One has the feeling that after the bad performance against Indiana, Penn State will bounce back in this spot. Illinois, meanwhile, just played a lot of ball on the West Coast and might be a little tired and sluggish here. We like the spot for Penn State.
Why Illinois Will Cover The Spread/Win
Illinois is really, really good. This team is playing its best basketball of the season and will be at home in front of a roaring crowd. What’s not to like about the Illini right now?
Final Penn State-Illinois Prediction & Pick
We really do like — and trust — the Penn State argument in this game. Take PSU.
Final Penn State-Illinois Prediction & Pick: Penn State +8.5
The post Penn State vs Illinois prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball appeared first on ClutchPoints.
