Alabama Crimson Tide vs Illinois Fighting Illini Prediction, 11/20/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Alabama Crimson Tide vs Illinois Fighting Illini

Date: Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Location: Legacy Arena at BJCC in Birmingham, AL

TV: ESPN+

The Illinois Fighting Illini (3-0) host the Alabama Crimson Tide (3-1) at Legacy Arena at BJCC on Wednesday.

The Alabama Crimson Tide faced Purdue and took a loss by a score of 87-78 in their last contest. Alabama finished the contest having earned a 44.4% FG percentage (28 of 63) and made 9 out of their 29 three-point shots. When they shot from the free throw line, the Crimson Tide made 13 of their 15 attempts for a percentage of 86.7%. In terms of pulling down boards, they earned 36 with 10 of them being of the offensive sort. They also doled out 18 dimes in the game in addition to forcing 3 turnovers and having 1 steal. When it comes to defending, Alabama allowed the other team to go 49.2% from the floor on 31 out of 63 shooting. Purdue earned 18 dimes and had 2 steals in the matchup. Furthermore, Purdue collected 34 boards (10 offensive, 24 defensive), but finished the game with no rejections. Purdue finished the game shooting 64.0% from the charity stripe by making 16 of 25 attempts. They converted 9 out of their 16 shots from three-point range. In the matter of fouls, the Crimson Tide walked away with 22 while Purdue finished the game with 17 fouls.

Labaron Philon is one player who played a role in this matchup. He ended up with 18 points on 7 out of 10 shooting. He played for 27 mins and collected 5 rebounds. He finished the game shooting 70.0% from the field and earned 4 dimes.

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Alabama heads into this one with a win-loss mark of 3-1 for the season. They cough up possession 11.3 times per game and as a team they are committing 17.5 fouls per contest. As a unit, Alabama is pulling down 44.5 boards per game and has accumulated 68 assists so far this season, which is 104th in college basketball in terms of passing. The Crimson Tide are hitting 30.4% on shots from distance (34 of 112) and 70.0% from the charity stripe. They have an average of 87.0 points per game (50th in D-1) while shooting 48.1% from the floor.

When they are on defense, the Crimson Tide are forcing 9.5 turnovers every game and they draw 22.3 personal fouls. They are 79th in college basketball in allowing assists to the opposition with 40 conceded for the campaign. The Crimson Tide defensively are allowing a shooting percentage of 38.6% (100 of 259) and they concede 35.0 boards per contest as a squad. They are giving up 29.8% on 3-point shots and they rank 193rd in the nation in points per game allowed (71.0).

When they last played, the Illinois Fighting Illini took home the win by a final score of 66-54 against Oakland. The Fighting Illini collected 22 defensive boards and 10 offensive boards totaling 32 for this game. They turned the ball over 16 times, while recording 9 steals in this matchup. Oakland committed 16 fouls in the matchup which got the Fighting Illini to the free throw line for a total of 17 attempts. They were able to knock down 13 of the free throw attempts for a clip of 76.5%. In reference to 3-point shots, Illinois made 7 out of their 25 tries (28.0%). Overall, the Fighting Illini finished shooting 23 out of 55 from the field which had them shooting 41.8%. The Fighting Illini allowed Oakland to bury 20 out of 53 tries from the floor which left them shooting 37.7% for this contest. They shot 16.0% from distance by connecting on 4 out of 25 and ended up shooting 10 out of 11 at the free throw line (90.9%). In the matter of team rebounding, Illinois permitted Oakland to grab 24 in total (6 offensive).

Tomislav Ivisic ended up being a major contributor for the Fighting Illini for the matchup. He made 9 out of 14 in this matchup for a field goal rate of 64.3%, and had 6 rebounds. He accumulated 20 points in his 32 minutes on the hardwood, but wasn't able to earn an assist.

Illinois has a win-loss mark of 3-0 on the campaign. The Fighting Illini are committing 15.0 fouls every game and they go 72.5% from the charity stripe. Their rate of dishing out assists is at 16.0 times per game (119th in college hoops) and they turn it over 12.0 times per game. Illinois has accumulated 268 points on the campaign (89.3 per contest) and they average 47.3 boards per contest. As an offensive team, the Fighting Illini are hitting on 45.1% from the floor, which has them ranked 206th in college basketball.

The Fighting Illini defensively are ranked 23rd in college hoops in points allowed per game with 59.7. They are forcing their opponents into 11.7 turnovers on a nightly basis and have let teams shoot 35.1% from the floor (25th in D-1). The Illinois defense gives up 23.0% from downtown (14 of 61) and opponents are converting on 54.7% of their free throw attempts. They allow 8.3 assists and 32.0 rebounds per contest, which is ranked 18th and 88th in those categories on the defensive end.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Illinois

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