Fairleigh Dickinson Knights vs Illinois Fighting Illini Prediction, 12/29/2023 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Fairleigh Dickinson Knights vs Illinois Fighting Illini

Date: Friday, December 29, 2023

Location: State Farm Center in Champaign, IL

TV: BTN

State Farm Center is the location where the Illinois Fighting Illini (9-2) will go up against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (6-7) on Friday.

The Fairleigh Dickinson Knights faced off with Fairfield and took a loss by a final of 92-69 in their last contest. Fairleigh Dickinson walked away from the contest having earned a 42.9% FG percentage (30 out of 70) and converted 5 of 21 3-point shots. From the charity stripe, the Knights made 4 of their 9 shots for a percentage of 44.4%. In relation to getting rebounds, they earned a total of 35 with 10 of them being on the offensive end. They also recorded 13 dimes in this contest as well as forcing 8 turnovers and having 5 steals. In the matter of defending, Fairleigh Dickinson allowed 52.8% from the floor on 38 out of 72 shooting. Fairfield distributed 20 dimes and had 7 steals for the contest. Additionally, Fairfield totaled 37 rebounds (8 offensive, 29 defensive), but wasn't able to put a block in the stat sheet. Fairfield walked away from this one shooting 77.8% at the free throw line by knocking down 7 of 9 attempts. They also knocked down 9 out of their 21 tries from distance. When it comes to personal fouls, the Knights ended up finishing with 10 while Fairfield recorded 11 personal fouls.

Jo'el Emanuel is a player who was a factor in this matchup. He accumulated 18 points on 8 out of 12 shooting. He saw the court for 28 minutes and snagged 2 rebounds. He finished the game at 66.7% from the field but had no assists when the game ended.

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Fairleigh Dickinson steps onto the hardwood with a win-loss mark of 6-7 this year. They average 81.5 pts per game (50th in college hoops) while going 44.6% from the floor. The Knights are shooting 34.0% on three-point attempts (121 of 356) and 70.1% from the free throw line. As a unit, Fairleigh Dickinson is snagging 37.4 rebounds per contest and has earned 209 assists for the year, which is 35th in college basketball in terms of passing the ball. They lose possession by turning the ball over 12.7 times per contest and as a team they are committing 18.4 fouls every game.

When they are on defense, the Knights are forcing 14.0 turnovers per game and they draw 18.8 personal fouls. They surrender 34.9% on 3-point shots while they are 349th in D-1 in PPG from their opponents (81.0). The Knights defensively are giving up an opponent FG percentage of 44.7% (370 of 827) and they relinquish 39.8 boards per game as a squad. They are 352nd in Division 1 in giving up assists to their opponents with 210 surrendered on the campaign.

When they last stepped on the court, the Illinois Fighting Illini walked away with a victory by a final of 97-73 against Missouri. Concerning rebounds, Illinois permitted Missouri to snag 30 in total (8 offensive). They finished 22.2% from three-point range by connecting on 6 out of 27 and walked away from this one shooting 9 of 16 from the free throw line (56.3%). The Fighting Illini allowed Missouri to knock down 29 of their 74 tries from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 39.2% for the game. Overall, the Fighting Illini finished 32 out of 65 from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 49.2%. With respect to shooting from downtown, Illinois buried 11 of their 33 tries (33.3%). They were able to bury 22 of those for a clip of 71.0%. Missouri earned 23 personal fouls in this game which got the Fighting Illini to the charity stripe for a total of 31 attempts. They also gave up possession 10 times, while earning 5 steals for this game. The Fighting Illini were able to corral 32 defensive rebounds and 15 offensive rebounds for a total of 47 for the contest.

Terrence Shannon was important for the Fighting Illini in the game. He racked up 30 points in his 35 minutes on the hardwood and had 4 assists in the game. He made 9 out of 14 for the game for a field goal rate of 64.3%, and earned 11 rebounds.

Illinois has a win-loss mark of 9-2 so far this season. The Fighting Illini have committed 14.3 personal fouls every game and they connect on 69.6% from the free throw line. They are assisting teammates 12.5 times per game (258th in the nation) and they are turning it over 12.5 times per game. Illinois has accounted for 891 pts on the year (81.0 per game) and they collect 45.4 boards per game. On the offensive side of the ball, the Fighting Illini are shooting 46.7% from the field, which ranks them 102nd in college basketball.

The Fighting Illini defensively are ranked 54th in D-1 in points given up per game with 65.0. They have forced 9.6 turnovers per game and allow teams to shoot 37.4% from the floor (9th in college hoops). The Illinois defense surrenders 28.3% on shots from distance (60 of 212) and opponents are making 65.0% of their shots from the free throw line. They relinquish 9.7 assists and 34.0 rebounds every game, which ranks them 20th and 135th in the nation.

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

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Fairleigh Dickinson

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