Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Welsh-Ryan Arena

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The Illinois Fighting Illini head to Welsh-Ryan Arena to take on the Northwestern Wildcats on Tuesday, February 7, 2017. The opening line for this game has Northwestern as 7 point favorites.

The Fighting Illini come into this game with an overall record of 13-11 and a road record of 0-5. They are 8-13 against the spread and their over/under record is 9-13. The Wildcats have an overall record of 18-5 and a home record of 12-1. They have an over/under record of 7-13 and they are 14-5 against the spread.

Malcolm Hill comes into this contest averaging 17 points per game while playing 32.4 minutes per night so far this season for the Fighting Illini. He pulls down 5.6 rebounds per game and dishes out 2.8 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 43% while his free throw percentage is currently at 79%. Maverick Morgan averages 10.3 points per game in 23.3 minutes per contest this season. He averages 0.8 assists per contest and 4.2 rebounds per game for Illinois. His field goal percentage is 58% for the year while his free throw percentage is 70%.

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Scottie Lindsey averages 15.4 points per game while playing 31.3 minutes per contest this year for the Wildcats. He grabs 4.3 rebounds per game and has 2.5 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 45% and his free throw percentage currently is at 86%. Vic Law averages 13.5 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 31.6 minutes per contest. He also averages 5.9 rebounds per contest and 2 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 42% and his free throw percentage is 71%.

Illinois averages 71.8 points per contest this season which ranks them 201st in the nation. Their average scoring margin is 0.2 and their shooting percentage is 45% as a team which has them ranked 144th. Behind the arc they shoot 34% which is good for 203rd in the country. They average 35.7 rebounds per game and 12.6 assists per game which ranks them 166th and 233rd in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 144th with 13 per game. The Fighting Illini allow 71.6 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 148th in the nation. They also allow a 45% shooting percentage and a 35% average from behind the arc ranking them 194th and 175th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 33 rebounds a game which ranks 58th and they give up 12.3 assists per contest which puts them in 92nd place in the country. They force 12.1 turnovers per game which ranks them 270th in Division 1.

Northwestern averages 74.3 points per game this year which ranks them 141st in Division 1 college basketball. Their average scoring margin is 9.9 and their shooting percentage is 44% as a team which has them sitting in the 200th spot in the country. Behind the arc they shoot 35% which is good for 165th in the nation. They average 38.3 rebounds per game and 16.7 assists per contest which ranks them 47th and 20th respectively. In the turnover department the Wildcats rank 15th with 10.7 per game. The Wildcats allow 64.4 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 29th in the country. They also allow a 39% shooting percentage and a 32% average from behind the arc ranking them 10th and 42nd in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 36.3 rebounds a game which ranks 214th and they give up 11.7 assists per contest which puts them in 56th place in the nation. The Wildcats force 12.4 turnovers per game which ranks them 249th in college basketball.

The Fighting Illini average 66.3 points per game on the road this season and they have scored 56.3 ppg in their past 3 contests. They have an average scoring differential of -9.1 on the road and in their past 3 games their difference is -9 per contest. The Fighting Illini have an offensive rating of 105.2 and they assist on 50.2% of their shots. In terms of pace they average 69.5 possessions per 40 minutes and their effective field goal percentage is 51%. As a team they have a true shooting percentage of 54% and they shoot 3 pointers on 34% of their shots. Illinois turns the ball over an average of 15.9 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 6.9% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage is 52.2% while their offensive rebound percentage is 31%. The Fighting Illini give up 75.4 points per game on the road this season and they have surrendered 65.3 points per contest in their last 3 games.

The Wildcats score 78.2 ppg at home and they have averaged 66.7 points per contest in their last 3 games.They have an average scoring differential of 1.3 in their past 3 contests and at home this season they have a difference of 16.4 points per game. The Wildcats have a rating on offense of 109.8 and 64% of their shots are assisted. They possess the ball 67.8 times per 40 minutes and their effective field goal percentage for the year is 50%. As an offensive unit they have a true shooting percentage of 54% and they attempt 3 pointers on 37% of their shots. Northwestern turns it over an average of 13.6 times per 100 possessions and they steal the ball on 7.9% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage is 51.3% while their offensive rebound percentage for the season is 32.4%. The Wildcats give up 61.8 points per contest at home this year and they have given up 65.3 points per game in their past 3 contests.

Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Trends

The Illinois Fighting Illini are 8-13 against the spread

The Illinois Fighting Illini are 9-13 against the over/under

Northwestern Wildcats Betting Trends

The Northwestern Wildcats are 14-5 against the spread

The Northwestern Wildcats are 7-13 against the over/under

Illinois Fighting Illini Injuries

01/12/17 G D.J. Williams Personal out indefinitely

Northwestern Wildcats Injuries

12/14/16 F Aaron Falzon Knee out for season
02/06/17 F Nathan Taphorn Ankle missed last game, "?" Tuesday vs. Illinois
02/06/17 G Scottie Lindsey Illness missed last game, "?" Tuesday vs. Illinois

Tony's Pick: Take Northwestern -7

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