Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Illinois Fighting Illini Prediction, 2/7/2023 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Minnesota Golden Gophers vs Illinois Fighting Illini

Date: Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Location: State Farm Center in Champaign, IL

TV: ESPN+

The Minnesota Golden Gophers (7-15) are headed to State Farm Center on Tuesday where they will go up against the Illinois Fighting Illini (16-7).

The Minnesota Golden Gophers played Maryland and took a loss by a final of 81-46 in their last game. Minnesota finished the game having earned a 34.2% FG percentage (13 out of 38) and knocked down 2 of their 14 3-point attempts. At the charity stripe, the Golden Gophers converted 18 of their 24 tries for a percentage of 75.0%. In the matter of hauling in rebounds, they compiled 25 with 5 of them being offensive. They also doled out 11 dimes for the game in addition to forcing the other team into 5 turnovers and getting 1 steal. In relation to defense, Minnesota allowed their opponent to shoot 52.4% from the floor on 33 out of 63 shooting. Maryland dished out 17 dimes and had 9 steals for the game. Additionally, Maryland had 29 rebounds (8 offensive, 21 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. Maryland finished the contest at 54.5% at the free throw line by knocking down 6 of 11 shots. They also converted 9 of 21 attempts from downtown. When discussing fouls, the Golden Gophers ended up finishing with 13 while Maryland accounted for 22 fouls.

Joshua Ola-Joseph is a guy who was important for the contest. He was able to score 17 points on 8 of 13 shooting. He was on the court for 39 minutes and pulled down 8 boards. He walked away from this one shooting 61.5% from the field and distributed 2 assists.

Get all of our NCAA Basketball Picks Today

Minnesota heads into this matchup with a win-loss mark of 7-15 this season. They are averaging 61.1 points per outing (354th in the nation) while going 41.4% from the field. The Golden Gophers are hitting 30.0% from downtown (132 of 440) and 60.9% from the charity stripe. As a unit, Minnesota is collecting 34.0 boards per contest and has accounted for 298 dimes this season, which has them ranked 248th in college basketball in terms of passing the rock. They turn it over 12.9 times per contest and as a group they are committing 14.4 fouls per contest.

When they are on the defensive end, the Golden Gophers are able to force 10.2 turnovers every game and they draw 16.8 personal fouls. They are 231st in college basketball in giving up assists to their opponents with 316 surrendered on the year. The Golden Gophers defense is allowing a FG percentage of 43.9% (586 of 1,336) and they relinquish 37.3 rebounds per game as a team. They are giving up 35.5% on shots from distance while they are 178th in college basketball in points per game allowed (69.3).

The last time they took the hardwood, the Illinois Fighting Illini took a loss by a score of 81-79 when they played Iowa. The Fighting Illini were able to corral 24 defensive rebounds and 13 offensive boards for a total of 37 in this contest. They also coughed up the ball 14 times, while earning 4 steals in this matchup. Iowa was called for 21 personal fouls in the game which got the Fighting Illini to the free throw line for 23 attempts. They were able to convert 18 of the free throw tries for a rate of 78.3%. Regarding shooting from beyond the arc, Illinois knocked down 7 of 22 tries (31.8%). When the game finished, the Fighting Illini ended up going 27 out of 55 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 49.1%. The Fighting Illini permitted Iowa to bury 24 out of their 53 tries from the field which left them with a shooting percentage of 45.3% in the game. They finished 36.8% from distance via 7 out of 19 and ended up going 26 of 30 from the charity stripe (86.7%). In relation to cleaning up the glass, Illinois allowed Iowa to snag 23 in total (7 on the offensive side).

Matthew Mayer was important for the Fighting Illini for the contest. He buried 7 of 9 in the matchup for a field goal rate of 77.8%, and had 5 rebounds. He scored 21 points in his 28 mins on the court and earned 4 assists in this matchup.

Illinois has a record of 16-7 for the campaign. In terms of offensive execution, the Fighting Illini are connecting on 45.5% from the field, which is ranked 135th in Division 1. Illinois has scored 1,729 points for the campaign (75.2 per game) and they pull in 38.8 boards per contest. Their rate of earning assists is at 13.4 times per game (164th in the country) and they turn the ball over 13.4 times per game. The Fighting Illini are committing 16.8 fouls every game while shooting 67.3% from the free throw line.

The Illinois defense gives up 32.4% on 3-point attempts (133 of 411) and their opponents are knocking down 70.4% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have given up 10.7 assists and 32.7 total rebounds per game, which ranks them 40th and 93rd in Division 1. The Fighting Illini are ranked 43rd in college hoops in PPG given up with 64.1. They are forcing 14.0 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 40.0% from the field (27th in college basketball).

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Minnesota

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here