Marquette at Illinois odds, picks and predictions
The Marquette Golden Eagles (2-0) and Illinois Fighting Illini (2-0) clash in a Tuesday showdown in Champaign. The opening tip at the State Farm Center will be at 8 p.m. ET (FS1). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Marquette vs. Illinois odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
Marquette, the No. 5 in the Paste BN Sports Coaches Poll, has scored over 90 points in both of their games. MU's last contest was on Friday when it took down Rider 95-65, covering a -24 spread. Marquette won the last meeting in this series (67-66 in 2021) and has taken 3 in a row from UI.
The 23rd-ranked Illini have failed to cover in each of their 1st 2 games and since last February are just 1-8 against the spread (ATS) in their last 9 games. Through 2 games this season, Illinois has struggled from distance (29.8%) and from the free-throw line (51.3%).
Tuesday's game in Champaign is part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games, an 8-game Big East/Big Ten series.
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Marquette at Illinois odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access Paste BN Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:11 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Marquette +105 (bet $100 to win $105) | Illinois -125 (bet $125 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Marquette +1.5 (-110) | Illinois -1.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 147.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Marquette at Illinois picks and predictions
Prediction
Illinois 78, Marquette 74
Moneyline
PASS: no value to be found between these prices.
Against the spread
Marquette G Tyler Kolek, the team's point man and the reigning Big East Player of the Year and preseason Associated Press All-American, left UM's last game with a turned ankle. Kolek has a history of bouncing back from injury -- in fact, even against these Illini -- but the Maquette schedule has this game being the front end of a stretch that has the Eagles playing 4 top-40 foes in their next 5 games. Perhaps, UM exercises caution even if Kolek can go.
Illinois excels in keeping opponents from getting to the rim. That's a significant part of this match-up. In general, the Illini are adept at forcing teams to take shots they don't want to take.
Give the home team enough of an advantage in that area to make ILLINOIS -1.5 (-110) worth a partial-unit play.
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Over/Under
Ticket this matchup as having an above-average pace with an above-average number of triples, good input from the Marquette transition game and decent input on Illinois 2nd chances.
Add in the fact these are 2 squads that can get it to the rim, and this one makes it past 150.
BACK THE OVER 147.5 (-110).
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