Illinois State Redbirds vs Wisconsin Badgers Prediction, 12/29/2021 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Illinois State Redbirds vs Wisconsin Badgers

Date: Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Location: Kohl Center in Madison, WI

TV: ESPN+

The Wisconsin Badgers (9-2) are welcoming the Illinois State Redbirds (8-5) at Kohl Center on Wednesday.

The Illinois State Redbirds stepped onto the hardwood against UTSA and earned the victory with a final of 81-64 in their last game. In reference to personal fouls, the Redbirds ended up with 23 and UTSA accumulated 18 personal fouls. They also knocked down 3 of 20 tries from 3-point range. UTSA ended up shooting 57.9% from the free throw line by burying 11 of 19 attempts. Additionally, UTSA had 34 boards (16 offensive, 18 defensive), but wrapped up the game with no rejections. UTSA earned 9 dimes and had 7 steals in this game. In the matter of defending, Illinois State allowed their opponent to shoot 37.9% from the field on 25 out of 66 shooting. They also distributed 21 assists for this contest as well as forcing 10 turnovers and earning 7 steals. When it comes to hauling in boards, they earned 40 with 11 of them being of the offensive variety. At the charity stripe, the Redbirds made 6 of 12 shots for a percentage of 50.0%. Illinois State finished the contest having earned a 55.0% field goal percentage (33 out of 60) and knocked down 9 of their 23 three-point shots.

Antonio Reeves is one player who played a role in this matchup. He notched 21 points on 9 out of 14 shooting. He was on the court for 34 mins played and snagged 10 boards. He finished the game shooting 64.3% from the floor and totaled 4 assists.

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Illinois State enters this matchup with a record of 8-5 on the campaign. They turn it over 14.6 times per contest and as a team they commit 17.4 personal fouls every game. As a unit, Illinois State is grabbing 37.0 boards per game and has 166 assists on the year, which is 146th in D-1 in terms of passing. The Redbirds are shooting 38.7% on shots from beyond the arc (116 of 300) and 73.3% from the free throw line. They are averaging 80.4 points per contest (36th in D-1) on 46.1% from the floor.

Defensively, the Redbirds are forcing their opponents into 13.5 turnovers per contest and they draw 18.3 personal fouls. They are currently ranked 263rd in the country in allowing assists to the opposition with 166 surrendered for the campaign. The Redbirds defense is allowing a field goal percentage of 42.5% (362 of 851) and they relinquish 37.5 boards per contest as a unit. They surrender 36.0% on 3-pointers while they are 328th in college basketball in points per game allowed (76.8).

When they last stepped on the hardwood, the Wisconsin Badgers went home victorious with a score of 71-68 against Nicholls State. The Badgers recorded 22 defensive boards and 10 offensive rebounds for a total of 32 in this game. They also gave up possession 8 times, while earning 6 steals in the game. Nicholls State earned 24 personal fouls for this contest which got the Badgers to the charity stripe for a total of 27 shots. They were able to bury 17 of them for a rate of 63.0%. When it comes to shots from downtown, Wisconsin buried 6 of 21 attempts (28.6%). At the conclusion of this game, the Badgers finished 24 out of 55 from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 43.6%. The Badgers permitted Nicholls State to make 30 of their 62 attempts from the floor which gave them a rate of 48.4% for the matchup. They finished 26.3% from distance by hitting 5 of 19 and finished the contest at 3 out of 8 at the free throw line (37.5%). In reference to rebounding, Wisconsin permitted Nicholls State to grab 36 in total (10 offensive).

Brad Davison was important for the Badgers for the contest. He earned 19 points in his 35 minutes on the hardwood and accounted for 2 assists in this matchup. He converted 5 of 12 in this contest for a field goal rate of 41.7%, and accounted for 1 rebound.

Wisconsin has a mark of 9-2 on the campaign. On the offensive side of the ball, the Badgers are shooting 40.2% from the floor, which is 325th in college basketball. Wisconsin has accumulated 755 pts so far this year (68.6 per contest) and they average 36.0 rebounds per contest. They are earning an assist 9.7 times per game (342nd in the country) and they are turning it over 8.5 times per game. The Badgers are committing 16.3 fouls per game and they connect on 76.6% from the free throw line.

The Wisconsin defense gives up 32.4% on shots from distance (70 of 216) and their opponents are connecting on 62.9% of their foul shots. They surrender 9.8 dimes and 36.5 rebounds per contest, which is 34th and 266th in D-1. The Badgers on defense are ranked 44th in D-1 in points given up per game with 61.2. They are forcing 12.9 turnovers per game and allow teams to shoot 41.2% from the field (130th in D-1).

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Illinois State

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