Big Ten foes are set to battle in Champaign this evening. #8 Illinois (20-4, 11-2) has real National Championship hopes, looking to make a deep run. Brad Underwood’s Fighting Illini will hope to add another in-conference win on Tuesday vs. Wisconsin (16-7, 8-4). The Badgers are on the NCAA Tournament bubble; a win tonight would go a long way in boosting their resume.
Illinois enters as 10.5-point favorites (-108) over Wisconsin. The total is set at 152.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. Here’s a college basketball pick, preview and prediction for Tuesday’s game between the Badgers and the Illini.
Wisconsin vs. Illinois prediction, preview
Wisconsin’s biggest asset is its offense; the school ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 75.2 points per game. That’s due in large part to an up-tempo game plan. The Badgers operate at a pace of 70.0 possessions per 40 minutes, third-quickest in the conference. This offense is well balanced, too. In the backcourt, upperclassmen Nick Boyd and John Blackwell have combined for 38.5 points and 6.0 assists per game. Down low, 6’11” Nolan Winter is putting up 14.3 points and 8.8 rebounds a night.
The rub on Wisconsin is depth; Boyd, Blackwell and Winter make up the vast majority of its scoring. Outside of that trio, no player on the roster is averaging double-digit points per game. To make matters worse, center Austin Rapp (illness) is questionable to suit up tonight. If the big man is absent, depth will be limited down low behind Winter. On defense, the Badgers are fairly competitive. They rank 59th in adjusted defensive efficiency (101.8) per KenPom.
As for the home team, this is an important test. The Illini suffered a brutal overtime loss last weekend vs. #10 Michigan State. How they respond in front of their home crowd will be telling. Fortunately for Illinois, there’s plenty of reason for optimism tonight. This group leads all of college basketball with a 130.6 adjusted offensive efficiency on KenPom. Unlike Wisconsin, the Illini aren’t top-heavy. Five different players on this roster are posting at least ten points per game.
Leading the charge for the Illini is freshman standout Keaton Wagler. The guard has notched 17.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists over 24 games. In addition, he leads the Big Ten with a 43.3% three-point percentage. Unfortunately, backcourt mate Kylan Boswell is unlikely to take the floor with a hand injury. On the bright side, wing Andrej Stojakovic comes into this one on a roll. The 6’7″ forward has tallied 17 points in each of his last two outings.
Wisconsin vs. Illinois pick, best bet
We’ve seen Wisconsin deliver some impressive wins, including a road victory over #2 Michigan. When this offense is operating at full speed, it forces even more talented opponents to keep up. Illinois is more about efficiency, preferring to slow things down. However, the Illini have the horses to come out on top of a shootout, even without Boswell. Don’t be shocked if at least one of these teams reaches the 90-point threshold.
