Iowa Hawkeyes vs Illinois Fighting Illini Prediction, 2/25/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Iowa Hawkeyes vs Illinois Fighting Illini

Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Location: State Farm Center in Auburn, AL

TV: FS1

The Illinois Fighting Illini (17-11) will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes (15-12) at State Farm Center on Tuesday.

The Iowa Hawkeyes took the court against Washington and notched a win by a score of 85-79 in their last game. Iowa ended the contest having earned a 47.3% FG percentage (26 out of 55) and made 10 of their 21 shots from beyond the arc. At the charity stripe, the Hawkeyes converted 23 of 26 shots for a percentage of 88.5%. With regard to grabbing boards, they earned 28 with 9 of them being on the offensive end. They also recorded 15 dimes in the matchup as well as forcing 10 turnovers and earning 6 steals. In reference to defense, Iowa allowed the other team to go 52.9% from the field on 27 of 51 shooting. Washington doled out 12 dimes and had 6 steals in this matchup. Moreover, Washington pulled down 28 boards (7 offensive, 21 defensive), but wasn't able to put a block in the stat sheet. Washington finished the game at 72.7% at the free throw line by converting 16 of their 22 shots. They also converted 9 of 19 shots from beyond the perimeter. When discussing fouls, the Hawkeyes ended up with 16 while Washington accounted for 21 fouls.

Payton Sandfort is one player who had an impact for the game. He finished the contest at 38.9% from the field and recorded 2 dimes. He played 40 minutes and pulled down 9 rebounds. He notched 27 points on 7 of 18 shooting.

Get all of our NCAA Picks Today

Iowa enters this game with a win-loss mark of 15-12 for the campaign. They average 83.9 points per contest (8th in Division 1) on 49.2% from the floor. The Hawkeyes are hitting 37.9% on shots from 3-point land (267 of 705) and 70.3% from the free throw line. As a unit, Iowa is pulling in 31.9 boards per contest and has racked up 499 dimes this year, which is 5th in the country in terms of passing the rock. They are losing possession via turnover 10.0 times per contest and as a team they commit 15.0 personal fouls every game.

On the defensive end of the court, the Hawkeyes are able to force 14.0 turnovers per game while drawing 16.2 personal fouls. They are currently ranked 336th in the nation in giving up assists to their opponents with 435 conceded for the season. The Hawkeyes defense is giving up a shooting percentage of 48.1% (808 of 1,679) and they surrender 37.1 boards per game as a squad. They are giving up 34.9% on 3-point attempts and they are ranked 344th in Division 1 in PPG allowed (79.5).

The last time they took the hardwood, the Illinois Fighting Illini took a loss by a score of 110-67 when they played Duke. Concerning attacking the glass, Illinois allowed Duke to snag 40 in all (12 offensive). They shot 52.2% from behind the 3-point line by shooting 12 of 23 and walked away from this one shooting 18 out of 24 at the charity stripe (75.0%). The Fighting Illini allowed Duke to convert 40 of 72 tries from the field which had them shooting 55.6% in this matchup. When all was said and done, the Fighting Illini went 23 out of 61 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 37.7%. When discussing shooting from 3-point land, Illinois converted 2 of their 26 attempts (7.7%). They were able to bury 19 of those for a percentage of 67.9%. Duke was called for 23 fouls in this contest which got the Fighting Illini to the free throw line for 28 tries. They also coughed it up 9 times, while earning 4 steals for the game. The Fighting Illini were able to collect 20 defensive boards and 10 offensive boards totaling 30 for the matchup.

Tre White ended up being a factor for the Fighting Illini for the game. He converted 6 of 9 in this contest for a rate of 66.7%, and accumulated 5 rebounds. He accumulated 16 points in his 25 mins of playing time, but wasn't able to get an assist.

Illinois has a win-loss mark of 17-11 on the year. On the offensive side of the ball, the Fighting Illini are connecting on 44.6% from the field, which has them ranked 192nd in college. Illinois has totaled 2,333 points on the campaign (83.3 per game) and they average 43.3 boards per contest. They are getting an assist 14.5 times per contest (124th in college hoops) and they are giving up possession 11.9 times per game. The Fighting Illini are committing 16.4 personal fouls per contest and they go 75.8% from the charity stripe.

The Illinois defense allows 32.7% on 3-point attempts (182 of 557) and opponents are converting on 71.3% of their free throw attempts. They have given up 12.2 assists and 34.1 rebounds on a nightly basis, which ranks 100th and 176th in college hoops. The Fighting Illini on the defensive end are ranked 244th in the nation in points given up per game with 73.8. They are able to force 9.4 turnovers on a nightly basis and allow teams to shoot 41.3% from the floor (57th in Division 1).

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

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Illinois

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