Saturday, February 4, 2017

State Farm Center

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The Minnesota Golden Gophers head to State Farm Center to take on the Illinois Fighting Illini on Saturday, February 4, 2017. The opening line for this game has Illinois as 1 point favorites.

The Golden Gophers come into this game with an overall record of 15-7 and a road record of 2-4. They are 11-9 against the spread and their over/under record is 10-10. The Fighting Illini have an overall record of 13-10 and a home record of 10-3. They have an over/under record of 9-12 and they are 8-12 against the spread.

Nate Mason comes into this contest averaging 14 points per game while playing 33.6 minutes per night so far this season for the Golden Gophers. He pulls down 3.3 rebounds per game and dishes out 5.5 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 37% while his free throw percentage is currently at 80%. Amir Coffey averages 12.1 points per game in 31.6 minutes per contest this season. He averages 3.1 assists per contest and 3.8 rebounds per game for Minnesota. His field goal percentage is 46% for the year while his free throw percentage is 74%.

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Malcolm Hill averages 17.2 points per game while playing 32.4 minutes per contest this year for the Fighting Illini. He grabs 5.7 rebounds per game and has 2.7 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 44% and his free throw percentage currently is at 80%. Maverick Morgan averages 10.2 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 23 minutes per contest. He also averages 3.9 rebounds per contest and 0.8 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 59% and his free throw percentage is 71%.

Minnesota averages 74.5 points per contest this season which ranks them 134th in the nation. Their average scoring margin is 6.7 and their shooting percentage is 43% as a team which has them ranked 219th. Behind the arc they shoot 36% which is good for 148th in the country. They average 39.1 rebounds per game and 15.5 assists per game which ranks them 29th and 57th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 74th with 12.2 per game. The Golden Gophers allow 67.7 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 58th in the nation. They also allow a 40% shooting percentage and a 31% average from behind the arc ranking them 18th and 23rd in those defensive categories. Opponents average 38.1 rebounds a game which ranks 292nd and they give up 12.8 assists per contest which puts them in 129th place in the country. They force 13.6 turnovers per game which ranks them 150th in Division 1.

Illinois averages 72.4 points per game this year which ranks them 183rd in Division 1 college basketball. Their average scoring margin is 0.6 and their shooting percentage is 45% as a team which has them sitting in the 132nd spot in the country. Behind the arc they shoot 35% which is good for 169th in the nation. They average 35.4 rebounds per game and 12.5 assists per contest which ranks them 187th and 232nd respectively. In the turnover department the Fighting Illini rank 155th with 13.1 per game. The Fighting Illini allow 71.8 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 150th in the country. They also allow a 45% shooting percentage and a 35% average from behind the arc ranking them 214th and 181st in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 32.6 rebounds a game which ranks 44th and they give up 12.4 assists per contest which puts them in 99th place in the nation. The Fighting Illini force 12.5 turnovers per game which ranks them 246th in college basketball.

The Golden Gophers average 64.7 points per game on the road this season and they have scored 75.3 ppg in their past 3 contests. They have an average scoring differential of -2.4 on the road and in their past 3 games their difference is -5 per contest. The Golden Gophers have an offensive rating of 103.3 and they assist on 60.7% of their shots. In terms of pace they average 70.8 possessions per 40 minutes and their effective field goal percentage is 49%. As a team they have a true shooting percentage of 53% and they shoot 3 pointers on 31% of their shots. Minnesota turns the ball over an average of 14.9 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 8.5% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage is 50.7% while their offensive rebound percentage is 29.1%. The Golden Gophers give up 67.1 points per game on the road this season and they have surrendered 80.3 points per contest in their last 3 games.

The Fighting Illini score 77.4 ppg at home and they have averaged 62 points per contest in their last 3 games.They have an average scoring differential of -2 in their past 3 contests and at home this season they have a difference of 8.7 points per game. The Fighting Illini have a rating on offense of 105.8 and 49.9% of their shots are assisted. They possess the ball 69.6 times per 40 minutes and their effective field goal percentage for the year is 52%. As an offensive unit they have a true shooting percentage of 55% and they attempt 3 pointers on 34% of their shots. Illinois turns it over an average of 16.1 times per 100 possessions and they steal the ball on 7.1% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage is 52.2% while their offensive rebound percentage for the season is 31.1%. The Fighting Illini give up 68.8 points per contest at home this year and they have given up 64 points per game in their past 3 contests.

Minnesota Golden Gophers Betting Trends

The Minnesota Golden Gophers are 11-9 against the spread

The Minnesota Golden Gophers are 10-10 against the over/under

Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Trends

The Illinois Fighting Illini are 8-12 against the spread

The Illinois Fighting Illini are 9-12 against the over/under

Minnesota Golden Gophers Injuries

11/08/16 F Davonte Fitzgerald Knee out for season

Illinois Fighting Illini Injuries

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

Josh's Pick: Take Illinois -1

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