The No. 16-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini are hosting the Rutgers Scarlet Knights tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET. Illinois has started 11-3 and 2-1 in the Big Ten, while Rutgers is 1-3 in the conference and 8-7 overall. The Fighting Illini are on a three-game winning streak, and Rutgers is coming off a one-point win over Oregon in overtime.
Check out my best bet for tonight’s Rutgers vs. Illinois Big Ten game. Illinois is a -22.5-point favorite with the over/under being 145.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Rutgers vs. Illinois (8:30 p.m. ET)
Illinois has four players averaging double-digit points per game this season. Two of their top scorers are freshmen, Keaton Wagler (15.4 PPG) and David Mirkovic (13.1 PPG). Illinois has a good balance between its frontcourt and backcourt. The Fighting Illini have a deep rotation with eight players playing at least 14 minutes per game.
Rutgers only averages 70.3 points per game as a team, with junior guard Tariq Francis leading the way with 14.9 points. Dylan Grant is their only other player averaging at least 10 points per game this season. Rutgers is last in the Big Ten in PPG. On KenPom, there is a wide gap between these two teams, with Illinois ranked No. 9 and Rutgers No. 155.
So far in Big Ten play, Illinois has beaten Ohio State and Penn State by eight points and lost to Nebraska by three. Francis has two 30-point performances in Rutgers last four games and has provided a much-needed offensive spark for the Scarlet Knights.
Even though Rutgers has struggled mightily this season, the line at -22.5, favoring Illinois, still seems high. That is because five of Rutgers’ seven losses this season have come by 22 or fewer. Also, only two of Illinois’ last eight victories have come by more than 23 points. With the spread being so high, I’m taking Illinois’ team total over 84.5 points at -110. Illinois has scored 88-plus points in three of its previous four wins, and hasn’t had under 85 points in back-to-back wins in nearly two months.
