Minnesota vs. Illinois Picks and Prediction for Saturday, January 17th, 2026
Use Code WWWC The Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-7, 7-10 ATS, 6-11 O/U) take on the Illinois Fighting Illini (14-3, 10-7 ATS, 5-12 O/U) in a Big Ten clash on Saturday afternoon, and we have you covered with the prediction. The Gophers dropped a home bout against Wisconsin in their previous action. The Fighting Illini recorded a road win against Northwestern in their recent game.
Can the Fighting Illini extend their winning streak in this Big Ten meeting on Saturday afternoon? Check out the Minnesota vs. Illinois prediction. Do you need a boost in your handicapping? Try our NCAAB Picks!
Minnesota Seeks Winning Record in Conference Action
The Minnesota Gophers are seeking their 11th win of the season. Minnesota has been competitive in conference play. They posted an upset win against Indiana in their conference opener last month. Minnesota also earned upset wins against Northwestern and Iowa, in which they were the dogs.
The Gophers dropped an overtime home meeting against USC last weekend and sustained a 78-75 home defeat at the hands of a ranked Wisconsin team on Tuesday. Minnesota was marked as 1.5-point dogs. They shot 52% in the defeat, while Wisconsin only shot 45%. The Gophers are 3-3 in Big Ten play. They have covered the spread in two of their past five games.
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Cade Tyson is a big scoring threat. The senior guard has surpassed 20 points in three of his past six games. He scored 20 against USC last week and has delivered an average of 21.6 PPG on 50% shooting. Jaylen Crocker-Johnson has been shaky in recent games, scoring 10 or fewer points in three of his last four efforts. The junior forward has netted an average of 13.1 PPG and 6.7 RPG.
Langston Reynolds has connected on 50% of his shots in three of his past five games. The senior guard has recorded 10.7 PPG. Isaac Asuma scored 17 points against Wisconsin. The sophomore guard is averaging 10.6 PPG. Grayson Grove comes off the bench. He scored five points in the defeat against Wisconsin. The freshman guard has amassed an average of 3.2 PPG and is shooting a strong 69%.
The Gophers are ranked 85th in the country in Ken Pomeroy’s ratings and are 1-2 on the road, including the defeat against Purdue. Minnesota is posting an average of 73.2 points on the season, ranking them 302nd. The Gophers have conceded 70 or fewer points in five of their past seven games and are keeping opponents to an average of 66.8 points, placing them 25th.
Illinois Extends Streak in Fifth Conference Win
The Illinois Fighting Illini are targeting their sixth conference win of the season. Illinois is a contender in the daunting Big 10. They had a tough schedule in non-conference action and lost to Alabama, but beat Ohio State in their Big Ten opener.
The conference success continued with a 73-65 road win against Penn State to begin this month. Illinois had a tough matchup against Iowa last week and registered a big road win. Illinois extended the winning streak with a 79-68 road triumph against Northwestern on Tuesday in a bout that had the Fighting Illini tabbed as the 10-point favorites. Illinois connected on 48% of its shots and kept Northwestern to a 39% efficiency. They stand at 5-1 in Big Ten play. The Fighting Illini have covered the spread in five of their past six games.
Keaton Wagler is capable of big numbers. The freshman guard has scored at least 16 points in all but five games. Wagler netted 22 points on Tuesday and is sporting an average of 16.1 PPG and 5.2 RPG. Kylan Boswell has converted on 50% of his shots in three straight efforts. The senior guard has recorded an average of 14.6 PPG.
Andrej Stojakovic has been consistent, sinking 12 or more points in five of his past eight games. The junior guard has reported an average of 13.9 PPG. David Mirkovic has reached double digits in two of his past five games. The freshman center is averaging 12 PPG. Tomislav Ivisic was key against Northwestern on Tuesday, scoring 21 points in the victory. The junior center is averaging 10 PPG.
The Fighting Illini are rated fifth in all of DI in Ken Pomeroy’s ratings. They climbed three spots to #13 in the recent edition of the AP Top 25. Illinois is 9-1 on its home court, including a win against Texas Tech. Illinois is posting an average of 85.6 points on the season, ranking them 70th. The Fighting Illini have conceded 69 or fewer in five straight games and are keeping opponents to an average of 67.5 points, placing them 35th.
Minnesota vs. Illinois Pick Spread
Spread Pick for Minnesota vs. Illinois
- Illinois -15 (5 units)
The Minnesota Gophers have been competitive, but this is a tough matchup on the road against one of the best teams in the country. Minnesota has only played in three road games this season. Illinois is dominant at home, where they have only dropped one game. They are hot. They have won six straight games.
Furthermore, Minnesota does not have the scoring punch to stay in this game. They are only averaging 112.8 points per 100 possessions compared to a stunning 128 points per 100 by Illinois, rating them third in the entire country in adjusted offensive efficiency. The Fighting Illini also have them beat on defense, conceding 5.2 fewer points per 100. Also, Illinois is winning by big margins. All but one of their home wins have been by double digits.
Over/Under Pick for Minnesota vs. Illinois
- Over 139 (5 units)
I expect this one to go over. Minnesota can surprise opponents in the offensive end. They scored 73 points against Indiana and 70 points against Iowa. The Fighting Illini have conceded 69 and 68 points in their past two games, above their season average.
In addition, Illinois does not play at a quick pace but scores mammoth numbers anyway. They attempt an average of 30 threes per game, which is among the most of any team in DI. Illinois should have more from deep success against a Gophers squad that is weak against threes, standing 201st in DI in three-point defense. The over is a convincing 5-1 in the past six meetings between these squads.
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