Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Illinois Fighting Illini Prediction, 1/31/2023 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Nebraska Cornhuskers vs Illinois Fighting Illini

Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Location: State Farm Center in Champaign, IL

TV: fuboTV

The Illinois Fighting Illini (15-6) will go up against the Nebraska Cornhuskers (10-12) at State Farm Center on Tuesday.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers took the court against Maryland and took a loss by a final of 82-63 in their last contest. Nebraska finished the contest with a 53.3% FG percentage (24 of 45) and made 6 out of their 14 three-point attempts. From the free throw line, the Cornhuskers made 9 of their 15 attempts for a rate of 60.0%. In terms of getting rebounds, they compiled 23 with 2 of them being of the offensive variety. They also recorded 15 dimes for the contest in addition to forcing 10 turnovers and getting 3 steals. In relation to defense, Nebraska allowed the other team to go 44.6% from the field on 25 out of 56 shooting. Maryland distributed 16 assists and had 8 steals in the matchup. In addition, Maryland collected 30 rebounds (10 offensive, 20 defensive), but finished the game with no rejections. Maryland walked away from this one shooting 92.3% from the charity stripe by burying 24 of 26 tries. They made 8 of their 23 attempts from beyond the perimeter. When discussing personal fouls, the Cornhuskers walked away with 18 while Maryland totaled 16 personal fouls.

Derrick Walker is one guy who was a major contributor for this game. He walked away from this one shooting 66.7% from the field and also distributed 2 assists. He saw the court for 30 mins and snagged 8 rebounds. He ended up finishing with 16 points on 8 out of 12 shooting.

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Nebraska comes into this game with a win-loss record of 10-12 on the campaign. They lose possession by turning the ball over 13.0 times per contest and as a team they commit 13.8 fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, Nebraska is snagging 35.4 boards per game and has accounted for 292 assists on the campaign, which has them ranked 177th in the nation in terms of passing the rock. The Cornhuskers are shooting 30.6% on shots beyond the perimeter (137 of 448) and 62.9% from the free throw line. They currently have an average of 65.9 points per outing (322nd in the nation) while hitting 44.4% from the floor.

When they are on defense, the Cornhuskers are forcing 12.2 turnovers on a nightly basis while drawing 16.6 fouls. They are giving up 32.9% on shots from beyond the perimeter and they are 159th in the country in PPG allowed (68.4). The Cornhuskers defense is allowing a field goal percentage of 42.6% (560 of 1,316) and they surrender 35.2 boards per contest as a unit. They are ranked 325th in D-1 in giving up assists with 329 conceded for the campaign.

The last time they took the hardwood, the Illinois Fighting Illini took home the win by a final score of 61-51 against Wisconsin. The Fighting Illini pulled down 28 defensive boards and 6 offensive boards totaling 34 for the contest. They turned the ball over 11 times, while recording 2 steals for the contest. Wisconsin committed 18 personal fouls in the game which took the Fighting Illini to the free throw line for 18 shots. They were able to make 11 of them for a rate of 61.1%. With respect to shooting from 3-point land, Illinois knocked down 6 out of their 20 attempts (30.0%). Overall, the Fighting Illini shot 22 out of 51 from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 43.1%. The Fighting Illini allowed Wisconsin to knock down 19 of 57 tries from the floor which left them shooting 33.3% in this game. They went 33.3% from behind the 3-point line by connecting on 9 of 27 and finished the contest at 4 out of 7 from the free throw line (57.1%). In regard to team rebounding, Illinois allowed Wisconsin to get 30 overall (5 on the offensive glass).

Matthew Mayer ended up being a factor for the Fighting Illini in this contest. He buried 9 of 19 for this game giving him a field goal percentage of 47.4%, and accounted for 6 rebounds. He racked up 26 points in his 33 mins of playing time, but went home with no dimes.

Illinois has a win-loss mark of 15-6 so far this year. When it comes to offense, the Fighting Illini are connecting on 45.5% from the floor, which ranks them 133rd in college hoops. Illinois has 1,578 points on the campaign (75.1 per game) and they collect 39.0 rebounds per contest. They are earning an assist 13.5 times per contest (169th in college basketball) and they lose possession by turning the ball over 13.4 times per game. The Fighting Illini commit 16.7 fouls per game and they connect on 66.2% from the charity stripe.

The Illinois defense allows 31.7% on 3-pointers (118 of 372) and their opponents are connecting on 68.8% of their free throw shots. They have allowed 10.8 assists and 33.2 rebounds per game, which has them ranked 43rd and 125th in college hoops. The Fighting Illini on the defensive side of the court are 42nd in college basketball in points given up per game with 63.7. They are able to force 14.0 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 39.8% from the floor (27th in the country).

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

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Illinois

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