It’s been another terrific season for #9 Illinois (17-3, 8-1) under the leadership of head coach Brad Underwood. If the Fighting Illini are going to bolster their national title chances, defending home court is crucial. That means taking care of business on Thursday against Washington (11-9, 3-6). The Huskies, despite their middling record, wield a young, talented roster with potential.
Can UW keep things competitive in Champaign? Illinois enters as 12.5-point favorites (-112) over Washington. The total is set at 153.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook. Here’s a college basketball pick, preview and prediction for Thursday’s game between the Huskies and the Illini.
Washington vs. Illinois prediction, preview
There’s no sugarcoating this one: battling Illinois on the road is an uphill battle. That’s especially true for a relatively inexperienced Washington crew. Danny Sprinkle’s squad is headlined by freshman phenom Hannes Steinbach. The German has been dominant so far, posting 17.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. He’s joined by sophomore guards Zoom Diallo (15.1 PPG) and Wesley Yates (12.7 PPG). Senior Desmond Claude is currently dealing with ankle and knee issues; he’s unlikely to suit up tonight.
In many aspects, UW has underperformed thus far. The school possesses a +16.08 net efficiency margin per KenPom, good enough for 48th in the nation. This is a fairly tall roster, so it’s no surprise the Huskies are fourth in the Big Ten with 38.3 rebounds per game. In addition, they are fifth in the conference with 4.3 blocks. However, inefficient offense has doomed Washington. The team is shooting just 45% from the field and 31% from three-point range. Those two marks sit near the bottom of the Big Ten.
It’s a much different story for Illinois, a group that prides itself on putting up buckets. The Fighting Illini are averaging 85.5 points per game, good enough for 30th among 365 Division I schools. Their 130.4 adjusted offensive efficiency margin is the best in all of college basketball according to KenPom. Five different players at Underwood’s disposal are putting up at least ten points per game. Leading the way is freshman standout Keaton Wagler. Over 20 outings, the 6’6″ guard has notched 17.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Fellow first-year David Mirkovic has chipped in with 12.2 points and 8.4 rebounds down low.
The beauty of this roster is that there’s an ideal mix of youth and veteran leadership. Upperclassmen Andrej Stojakovic and Kylan Boswell provide elite shooting and playmaking skills. Together, the guards have combined for 28.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. A hidden strength for Illinois is their work at the charity stripe. The team is knocking down a conference-leading 79.4% of its free-throws. However, the Illini are only committing 13.0 personal fouls per game, fewest in the conference. Staying out of, and forcing opponents into, foul trouble could prove vital yet again on Thursday.
Washington vs. Illinois pick, best bet
At this point, it’s difficult to go against the Fighting Illini. Their +17.2 average margin of victory is the seventh-best mark in all of college basketball. That number rises to +24.1 when playing at home. In comparison, Washington has gone just 2-5 on the road this season. Their last away win came all the way back on December 6th against USC. Having lost five of their last seven games, back the Huskies at your own risk.
