Tuesday, February 21, 2017

State Farm Center

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The Northwestern Wildcats travel to State Farm Center to play the Illinois Fighting Illini on Tuesday, February 21, 2017. The opening line for this game has Northwestern as 1.5 point favorites.

The Wildcats come into this game with an overall record of 20-7 and a road record of 5-3. They are 15-8 against the spread and their over/under record is 9-14. The Fighting Illini have an overall record of 15-12 and a home record of 10-5. They have an over/under record of 10-15 and they are 10-14 against the spread.

Scottie Lindsey comes into this contest averaging 15 points per game while playing 31 minutes per night so far this season for the Wildcats. He pulls down 4.1 rebounds per game and dishes out 2.6 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 44% while his free throw percentage is currently at 85%. Bryant McIntosh averages 13.9 points per game in 34 minutes per contest this season. He averages 5.6 assists per contest and 2.8 rebounds per game for Northwestern. His field goal percentage is 38% for the year while his free throw percentage is 88%.

Malcolm Hill averages 16.9 points per game while playing 32.7 minutes per contest this year for the Fighting Illini. He grabs 5.7 rebounds per game and has 2.8 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 44% and his free throw percentage currently is at 79%. Maverick Morgan averages 10 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 24.3 minutes per contest. He also averages 4.2 rebounds per contest and 0.7 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 57% and his free throw percentage is 69%.

Northwestern averages 73 points per contest this season which ranks them 175th in the nation. Their average scoring margin is 8.2 and their shooting percentage is 43% as a team which has them ranked 227th. Behind the arc they shoot 35% which is good for 187th in the country. They average 37.5 rebounds per game and 16 assists per game which ranks them 74th and 37th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 13th with 10.5 per game. The Wildcats allow 64.7 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 30th in the nation. They also allow a 40% shooting percentage and a 33% average from behind the arc ranking them 14th and 67th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 36.3 rebounds a game which ranks 224th and they give up 11.9 assists per contest which puts them in 69th place in the country. They force 12.3 turnovers per game which ranks them 255th in Division 1.

Illinois averages 71.5 points per game this year which ranks them 206th in Division 1 college basketball. Their average scoring margin is 0.1 and their shooting percentage is 45% as a team which has them sitting in the 136th spot in the country. Behind the arc they shoot 35% which is good for 172nd in the nation. They average 34.9 rebounds per game and 12.9 assists per contest which ranks them 206th and 214th respectively. In the turnover department the Fighting Illini rank 167th with 13.2 per game. The Fighting Illini allow 71.4 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 142nd in the country. They also allow a 44% shooting percentage and a 35% average from behind the arc ranking them 189th and 167th in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 33 rebounds a game which ranks 65th and they give up 12 assists per contest which puts them in 79th place in the nation. The Fighting Illini force 12.4 turnovers per game which ranks them 244th in college basketball.

The Wildcats average 69 points per game on the road this season and they have scored 66.3 ppg in their past 3 contests. They have an average scoring differential of 2 on the road and in their past 3 games their difference is 0.3 per contest. The Wildcats have an offensive rating of 108.5 and they assist on 62.5% of their shots. In terms of pace they average 67.3 possessions per 40 minutes and their effective field goal percentage is 50%. As a team they have a true shooting percentage of 54% and they shoot 3 pointers on 37% of their shots. Northwestern turns the ball over an average of 13.4 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 8% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage is 50.8% while their offensive rebound percentage is 31.5%. The Wildcats give up 67 points per game on the road this season and they have surrendered 66 points per contest in their last 3 games.

The Fighting Illini score 75.6 ppg at home and they have averaged 69.3 points per contest in their last 3 games.They have an average scoring differential of -0.7 in their past 3 contests and at home this season they have a difference of 5.9 points per game. The Fighting Illini have a rating on offense of 104.6 and 51.3% of their shots are assisted. They possess the ball 69.5 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 35% of their shots. Illinois turns it over an average of 16.3 times per 100 possessions and they steal the ball on 7.3% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage is 51.6% while their offensive rebound percentage for the season is 29.9%. The Fighting Illini give up 69.7 points per contest at home this year and they have given up 70 points per game in their past 3 contests.

Northwestern Wildcats Betting Trends

The Northwestern Wildcats are 15-8 against the spread

The Northwestern Wildcats are 9-14 against the over/under

Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Trends

The Illinois Fighting Illini are 10-14 against the spread

The Illinois Fighting Illini are 10-15 against the over/under

Northwestern Wildcats Injuries

12/14/16 F Aaron Falzon Knee out for season

Illinois Fighting Illini Injuries

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

Guy's Pick: Take Illinois +1.5

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