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The No. 20 Illinois Fighting Illini will play their second-to-last game of the season when they host the Penn State Nittany Lions on Thursday night.
Illinois (20-8, 13-5 Big Ten) would need some help, but they are still in the running for a share of the Big Ten regular season title with two wins and a Wisconsin Badgers loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Fighting Illini are coming off an eight-point win over the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday as Kofi Cockburn scored 27 points and Alfonso Plummer scored 26, knocking down six 3-pointers.
Penn State (12-14, 7-11 Big Ten) lost two of their last three games, and they’re coming off a 93-70 loss to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Nittany Lions are 1-8 in road games this season, so this will be a tough matchup for them. Jalen Pickett is the team’s top scorer with 12.8 points per game.
How to watch Penn State vs. Illinois
When: Thursday, March 3, 7:00 p.m. ET
Where: State Farm Center, Champaign, IL
TV: FS1
Where to live stream online: FS1, FOX Sports App
Live updates and stats: At DraftKings Sportsbook
Odds
Spread: Illinois -12.5
Total: 134
The Pick
Illinois -12.5
Penn State is a much different team when they play on the road, and it’s tough to imagine them hanging with Illinois on Thursday night. The Nittany Lions play at one of the slowest paces in college basketball, but the Fighting Illini should be able to pull away with a significant offensive advantage in this matchup.
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