It's Thursday and we have more Big 10 Tournament action with No. 15 Iowa vs. No. 7 Illinois prediction. Iowa (17-15) advances to the second round by beating Ohio State 77-70 on Wednesday. Illinois will be playing their first game on Thursday night at 6:30pmET from Gainbridge Fieldhouse. These teams met once this season on Feb. 26 with the Illini winning 81-61. Don't miss this Iowa vs. Illinois prediction and get our top NCAAB Betting Picks to increase your bankroll!
Iowa upsets Ohio State to advance
The No. 15 Hawkeyes still have life. Payton Sandfort scored 17 points and Josh Dix added 16 with two blocks to help Iowa over No. 10 Ohio State on Wednesday 77-70. The Hawkeyes shot 55% from the field and 42% (10-24) from long range.
Iowa had lost three straight regular season games and five of their last six before they upset Nebraska on Sunday 83-69. After two straight wins, Iowa is still not on the bubble as they are 65th in the latest Net Rankings. The Hawkeyes have had a down season in the Big 10, earning the 15th seed.
KenPom has the Hawkeyes ranked 63rd overall, 22nd in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and 154th in Adjusted Defense. The defense has been an issue along with rebounding (325th in total rebounding percentage). They also rank second in the assist-to-turnover ratio category.
Their leading scorer Owen Freeman (16.7ppg, 6.7rpg) suffered an injury to his shooting hand in early February and is out for the season. Forward Payton Sandfort (6-8, 215) is averaging 16.3 points and 6.3 rebounds with 2.9 assists on 40% shooting (32.6% 3pt).
Iowa averages 82.3 points per game, 48.6% shooting and 37.7% from long range. They allow teams to shoot 47.7% from the field (347th) and 34.4% from beyond the arc.
Are the Illini back?
Illinois has some tough losses on the season, falling to Alabama, Tennessee and Duke. But they haven't been healthy throughout the season due to injuries and illness. However, the Illini got some great news recently as it appears that freshman forward Morez Johnson (6-9, 255) is expected to return from a broken wrist and play in the Big 10 Tournament. He averages 7.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks and would be a huge help to center Tomislav Ivisic, who averages 12.6 points and 7.6 rebounds on 50% shooting.
Illinois is in the NCAA Tournament. Joe Lunardi has them as the sixth seed in the West in his latest Bracketology report, but a loss here could impact that seed. Now that they are healthy, can the Illini take the Big 10 Tournament and make noise in the NCAA Tournament? KenPom has them at 18th overall, 15th in Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and 31st in Adjusted Defense.
Freshman Kasparas Jakucionas is a potential lottery pick. He's averaging 15.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, while shooting 45.5% from the field (33.1% 3pt). They rank 11th in points per game (83.7ppg), while shooting 45% from the field and 31% from long range. They also allow teams to shoot 41.8% from the field and 32.2% from long range. On the boards, they rank eighth in total rebounding percentage and 145th in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Best Bets for Iowa vs. Illinois
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
I think Illinois is as good as anybody in the Big 10 when it comes to talent. Jakucionis is also a special talent They are also dominant on the boards and getting Johnson back will add some physicality to a pretty big frontcourt. This is just a bad matchup for Iowa ranks 324th in total rebounding percentage and they are one of the worst rebounding high major teams in the nation. Not having Owen Freeman will be costly for the Hawkeyes.
Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
Illinois likes to play halfcourt with their size, but they can also push the ball as they rank 17th in Adjusted Tempo on KenPom, while Iowa ranks 62nd in pace of play, so expect a lot of transition baskets. They've gone over in four of their last five games and averaged 87.3 points per game in that span. Iowa has averaged scoring 81.3 points in their last three games.
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