Big Ten Tournament: Ohio State vs. Illinois odds, picks and predictions
The Ohio State Buckeyes (20-12) and Illinois Fighting Illini (23-8) clash in a Friday Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal in Minneapolis. Tip-off at the Target Center is 6:30 p.m. ET (Big Ten Network). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Ohio State vs. Illinois odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
The 10th-seeded Buckeyes advanced after a 90-78 conquest of the No. 7 Iowa Hawkeyes on Thursday. OSU covered as a 2 1/2-point favorite and is 5-0 straight up and 5-0 ATS since Feb. 24.
Illinois, ranked No. 14 in the Paste BN Sports Coaches Poll, last played Sunday at Iowa, covering a 1 1/2-point spread in a 73-61 triumph over the Hawkeyes. The Big Ten's 2nd-leading team in scoring (83.9 points per game) went 14-6 in circuit play and is the No. 2 seed in this tournament.
Illinois defeated OSU 87-75 (covering as a -2.5) in a regular-season meeting on Jan. 30. The winner of this contest will advance to a Saturday semifinal.
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Ohio State vs. Illinois odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access Paste BN Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:19 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Ohio State +170 (bet $100 to win $170) | Illinois -210 (bet $210 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Ohio State +4.5 (-105) | Illinois -4.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 153.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
Ohio State vs. Illinois picks and predictions
Prediction
Illinois 76, Ohio State 71
Moneyline
No leverage to be found here. PASS.
Against the spread
Across UI's last 8 games when favored by 2 possessions or less (6 points), the Illini have gone 6-2 ATS. Illinois had firm control of the Jan. 30 meeting and is 4-2 ATS over the last 6 games of this series.
Ohio State's recent run of success has been buoyed by a relatively weak slate, and the Buckeyes are at a rest disadvantage in this contest. Look for the Buckeyes to be settling for less-than-optimal looks too often. OSU will need its distance shooting to make the last 90 seconds matter.
But that perimeter pop does make the Buckeyes a danger for a backdoor cover. Consider a partial-unit play on ILLINOIS -4.5 (-110), a price that's available on FanDuel Sportsbook.
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Over/Under
The Over cashed on 9 straight Illinois games from Jan. 30-March 2, but the Under has prevailed with ease the last 2 Illini games.
Ohio State's defensive efficiency has been trending the right way of late. The last 5 times the Buckeyes have been an underdog, the Under has gone 4-1.
The Over hit in in the Jan. 30 meeting, but that game was totaled at 146.5.
Consider the UNDER 153.5 (-110) -- again on FanDuel Sportsbook -- to be a strong play in this Big Ten quarterfinal.
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