Men's College Basketball Vegas Prediction: Northwestern at Illinois
Sunday, February 05, 2012
by Joe Rodriguez
The last time Illinois Fighting Illini and Northwestern Wildcats met, Fighting Illini 7-footer Meyers Leonard blocked a would-be game winner as time expired to preserve a 57-56 victory on Jan. 4.
Visiting Northwestern is out to return the favor and is coming off an 84-74 victory against Nebraska which snapped a three-game losing skid. The Wildcats have only two wins since falling to Illinois.
Injuries have mounted, leaving Northwestern with only six healthy scholarship players. Illinois snapped its own losing skid with an upset win over Michigan State.
The Illini, losers of three in a row, won an ugly offensive battle, getting some help when Michigan State star forward Draymond Green went down with a knee injury late in the game. Brandon Paul was the only starter in double figures for an offense that has averaged only 57 points over the last four games.
Illinois leads the all-time series 129-36, and is 9-2 in the last 11 meetings.
- Northwestern Wildcats @ Illinois Fighting Illini
When: 3:00 PM ET, Sunday, February 5, 2012
Where: Assembly Hall, Champaign, Illinois
TV: 3 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network
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Justbet Sportsbook currently have the Fighting Illini listed as 5½-point favorites versus the Wildcats.
Northwestern Wildcats (13-8): With the lack of bodies, Northwestern can't afford to mix it up inside with Illinois. Coach Bill Carmody is being very protective of his players within the Princeton offense, relying more on the outside shooting to do damage and stretch the opposing defense. The Wildcats rank second in the conference in 3-point shooting (37.1 percent) and went 14 for 31 from beyond the arc in the win over Nebraska. Five of the six active players hit two or more 3-pointers, with three guys hitting three or more.
Illinois Fighting Illini (16-6): While Sunday's game against Northwestern isn't an easy win, it does pale in comparison to the remainder of Illinois' scheduled meetings. The Fighting Illini follow the Wildcats with trips to Indiana and Michigan, a home game with rival Purdue, a trip to Ohio State, at home to Michigan before wrapping the season at Wisconsin. Coach Bruce Weber says getting rid of the pressure from that losing skid makes it a lot easier for his players to focus on the tough road ahead.
1. Illinois is 5-2 on Super Bowl Sunday.
2. Northwestern ranks first in the country with a 1.54 assist-to-turnover ratio and is third in turnovers per game with only 10.3.
3. Illinois has played 11 games decided by five points or less this season, going 7-4 in those contests. The Illini are 11-4 in games decided by single digits.
BASKETBALL PREDICTION: Fighting Illini 67, Wildcats 60.
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assembly hall - bill carmody - brandon paul - bruce weber - draymond green - illinois fighting illini - meyers leonard - northwestern wildcats
