Iowa Hawkeyes vs Illinois Fighting Illini Prediction, 2/24/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Iowa Hawkeyes vs Illinois Fighting Illini

Date: Saturday, February 24, 2024

Location: State Farm Center in Champaign, IL

TV: BTN

The Illinois Fighting Illini (19-7) welcome the Iowa Hawkeyes (16-11) at State Farm Center on Saturday.

The Iowa Hawkeyes stepped onto the hardwood against Michigan State and earned the victory with a final of 78-71 in their last game. When it comes to personal fouls, the Hawkeyes ended up with 14 and Michigan State accumulated 17 personal fouls. They also made 10 of their 20 shots from beyond the arc. Michigan State went 50.0% from the charity stripe by making 7 of their 14 tries. Moreover, Michigan State grabbed 31 rebounds (9 offensive, 22 defensive), but didn't notch a block. Michigan State recorded 20 assists and had 1 steal in the game. Regarding defense, Iowa allowed the other team to shoot 45.0% from the floor on 27 of 60 shooting. They also dished out 17 assists in this matchup in addition to forcing 8 turnovers and having 3 steals. When talking about grabbing rebounds, they earned a total of 33 with 6 of them being offensive. From the free throw line, the Hawkeyes made 18 of 23 attempts for a percentage of 78.3%. Iowa wrapped up the contest having earned a 50.9% FG percentage (28 out of 55) and buried 4 of their 13 shots from downtown.

Payton Sandfort is a player who was a major contributor for the contest. He recorded 22 points on 7 out of 15 shooting. He played 38 mins played and collected 6 rebounds. He finished the contest at 46.7% from the field and totaled 2 dimes.

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Iowa heads into this game with a win-loss mark of 16-11 so far this year. They turn the ball over 9.8 times per game and as a squad they commit 16.6 fouls every game. As a team, Iowa is pulling down 35.9 rebounds per game and has totaled 475 assists on the year, which ranks 7th in college basketball in terms of passing. The Hawkeyes are shooting 33.5% on shots from 3-point land (171 of 510) and 77.8% from the charity stripe. They average 83.4 pts per game (16th in the country) while hitting 47.9% from the floor.

When they are on the defensive end, the Hawkeyes are able to force 12.4 turnovers per game while drawing 17.4 personal fouls. They are ranked 338th in college basketball in giving up assists to their opponents with 409 relinquished on the season. The Hawkeyes defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 45.2% (756 of 1,671) and they surrender 36.6 rebounds per game as a team. They surrender 35.4% on three-point shots and they rank 329th in D-1 in points per game from their opponents (78.1).

When they last played, the Illinois Fighting Illini took a defeat with a final score of 90-89 against Penn State. When discussing cleaning up the glass, Illinois allowed Penn State to grab 23 in all (5 on the offensive glass). They finished 44.4% from downtown by hitting 8 out of 18 and ended up shooting 12 of 20 at the free throw line (60.0%). The Fighting Illini permitted Penn State to make 35 out of their 65 attempts from the field which had them shooting 53.8% for this game. When all was said and done, the Fighting Illini walked away from this one shooting 31 for 64 from the field which gave them a rate of 48.4%. In the matter of shooting from beyond the arc, Illinois made 9 of 24 tries (37.5%). They were able to convert 18 of the free throws for a rate of 66.7%. Penn State committed 19 fouls for the matchup which got the Fighting Illini to the charity stripe for 27 attempts. They also coughed up the ball 18 times, while earning 4 steals for this contest. The Fighting Illini pulled down 28 defensive boards and 15 offensive rebounds totaling 43 in the game.

Terrence Shannon ended up being a major contributor for the Fighting Illini for the game. He earned 35 points in his 38 mins on the court, but left the arena with no assists. He converted 10 of 18 in this contest for a field goal percentage of 55.6%, and had 11 rebounds.

Illinois has a win-loss record of 19-7 on the season. The Fighting Illini are committing 15.1 fouls every game and they connect on 73.8% from the free throw line. They are assisting teammates 13.1 times per game (191st in the country) and they cough up possession 11.2 times per game. Illinois has scored 2,167 pts for the campaign (83.3 per game) and they snag 42.4 rebounds per game. When it comes to offensive execution, the Fighting Illini are connecting on 46.5% from the field, which is 80th in D-1.

The Fighting Illini on the defensive side of the court are 174th in college basketball in PPG surrendered with 71.5. They are forcing their opponents into 9.0 TO's per game and allow teams to shoot 41.9% from the floor (81st in college basketball). The Illinois defense gives up 32.4% on shots from beyond the arc (149 of 460) and their opponents are making 70.4% of their free throw attempts. They have relinquished 10.9 assists and 33.1 rebounds per contest, which is ranked 40th and 89th in the country.

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Illinois

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