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How and what to watch for No. 19 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 Illinois

Both of these teams are fighting for position as the Big Ten race comes down to the wire

By Collin Sherwin and Eric Mallard

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 Illinois Fighting Illini center Kofi Cockburn dunks the ball in front of Indiana Hoosiers forward Race Thompson during overtime at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

There’s a battle to keep conference title hopes alive in the Big Ten on Saturday afternoon as the No. 19 Wisconsin Badgers head over to Champaign to take on the No. 12 Illinois Fighting Illini.

Illinois has won three in a row and is scoring about 80 points per game. They’re ranked as the eighth-best offense in the nation according to KenPom, led by sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu who averages over 21 points per game as a top-20 scorer in the nation. Center Kofi Cockburn puts in over 16 points per game and he’s a menace on the boards as well, nabbing 10.2 per contest. Defensively the Illini allow under 70 points per game to opponents, with KenPom having them as the 16th-best defensive team in the country.

The Badgers have slipped up a bit recently, losing two of their last four games. Their offense isn’t as overpowering as Illinois’, scoring just over 70 points per game. They have just two players averaging in double figures, led by D’Mitrik Trice with just 13 points per game. On defense, they’re one of the better teams in the nation, giving up just 62 points to opponents each time out, which is 8th-best in Division I.

Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming

You can watch Wisconsin vs. Illinois on Saturday, February 6th at 2:30 p.m. ET on FoxSports.com/live, a streaming only channel available online. with a cable or streaming service login. If you don’t have a cable login to access the FoxSports.com, you can get a free trial from YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, AT&T TV Now, FuboTV, or Sling TV to stream it.

Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends

Point spread: Illinois -3.5
Point Total: 136.5
Money line: Wisconsin vs. Illinois

  • Wisconsin is 10-9 this season ATS, and the over is 10-9
  • Illinois is 16-6 vs. the number, with the over 10-7

The Best Bet

The over would be a solid play but consider that Wisconsin’s last three losses have come by double-digits. Illinois has been rolling offensively and covering a four-point spread should be doable for the red-hot Illini.

Pick: Illinois -3.5

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