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The No. 7 seed Illinois Fighting Illini (20-11, 11-9 Big Ten) are favored by 2.5 points when they square off the No. 10 seed Penn State Nittany Lions (19-12, 10-10 Big Ten) in the Big Ten Tournament Thursday at United Center, starting at 6:30 PM on Big Ten Network. A guaranteed spot in the NCAA Tournament bracket is on the line as these teams look to claim the Big Ten championship.
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How do I watch Fighting Illini vs. Nittany Lions?
- Game Day: Thursday, March 9, 2023
- Game Time: 6:30 PM ET
- TV Channel: Big Ten Network
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Arena: United Center
Betting Lines for Fighting Illini vs. Nittany Lions
| Favorite | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | -2.5 | 140.5 |
Illinois Betting Stats & Information
- Illinois has won 68.2% of its games this season when favored on the moneyline (15-7).
- The Fighting Illini have a record of 14-6 when playing as a moneyline favorite with odds of -144 or shorter (70% win percentage).
- The Fighting Illini are 18-13-0 against the spread this season.
- In games they have played as at least 2.5-point underdogs this year, the Nittany Lions are 6-4 against the spread.
- The average total Illinois has had in its games this year is 0.7 more points than this particular game’s point total.
Penn State Betting Stats & Info
- This season, Penn State has been the underdog 12 times and won four, or 33.3%, of those games.
- The Nittany Lions have a record of 5-6, a 45.5% win rate, when they’re set as an underdog of +121 or more by bookmakers this season.
- So far this season, the Nittany Lions have put together a 16-14-1 record against the spread.
- The Nittany Lions have a 6-4 record against the spread in games they were an underdog by 2.5 points or more this year.
- The average total in Penn State’s games this year equals the 140.5 point total in this outing.
Illinois vs. Penn State Season Stat Comparison
| Illinois Rank | Illinois AVG | Penn State AVG | Penn State Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 113th | 74.6 | Points Scored | 72.4 | 166th |
| 76th | 66.6 | Points Allowed | 68.2 | 123rd |
| 22nd | 35.6 | Rebounds | 29.6 | 295th |
| 45th | 10.2 | Off. Rebounds | 5 | 362nd |
| 139th | 7.7 | 3pt Made | 10.8 | 2nd |
| 232nd | 12.4 | Assists | 14.3 | 94th |
| 252nd | 12.6 | Turnovers | 8.3 | 3rd |
This Matchup’s Impact Players
Illinois Fighting Illini Leaders
- Coleman Hawkins leads the Fighting Illini in rebounds and assists. Hawkins averages 9.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3 assists per game.
- Illinois’ leading scorer is Terrence Shannon Jr., who drops 17.1 points a game in addition to his 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists.
- The Fighting Illini get the most three-point shooting production out of Matthew Mayer, who makes 2.2 threes per game.
Penn State Nittany Lions Leaders
- Jalen Pickett has the top spot on the Nittany Lions leaderboards for scoring (18 per game), rebounds (7.3 per game), and assists (seven per game).
- Andrew Funk averages 2.9 three-pointers per game, the most on the Nittany Lions.
