Big Ten Tournament Championship preview for No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Illinois

The Big Ten Tournament is nearly over, and Ohio State is set to face off against Illinois in the title game on Sunday. The Buckeyes and Illini split their regular-season series 1-1, so this third installment should be an interesting matchup.

Illinois is one of the country’s hottest teams and has won its last six contests, so Ohio State should have its hands full in this rematch. The Buckeyes had lost four straight before getting to Lucas Oil Stadium, but have won three in a row to reach the final, including avenging their previous loss to Michigan

Let’s take a look at the odds for the final from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Illinois, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS

Point Spread: Illinois -5.5
Point Total: 151.5

Ohio State took down Michigan by a point in the semifinals, but the Wolverines were missing a key piece in Isaiah Livers, UM’s senior leader and second-leading scorer. Illinois has won its two tournament games impressively and by double-digits. The Illini’s 5-point victory at Ohio State to wrap up the regular season was impressive, and their odds at a neutral site shouldn’t change much. Illinois has played its best basketball with Ayo Dosunmu and has a tremendous track record ATS when playing ranked teams.

The pick: Illinois -5.5

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