| Wednesday, February 2<\/th>\n | \u00a0Big Ten Basketball Betting Notes<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n |
|---|---|
| Point Spread:<\/td>\n | Illinois Illini -7 vs Wisconsin Badgers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Total:<\/td>\n | 136.5 Points<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Game Time:<\/td>\n | 9:00pm ET \/ 6:00pm PT<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| Arena:<\/td>\n | State Farm Center in Champagne, Illinois<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n |
| TV:<\/td>\n | Big Ten Network<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\nIllinois vs Wisconsin Preview<\/h2>\nThe Illini and Badgers are are tied for first place in the Big Ten with Michigan State, who is coming off a road win at Maryland last night.<\/p>\n Badgers on the Ball<\/h3>\nThe Badgers are one of the best at protecting the ball, only averaging eight turnovers per game which is good for No. 2 in the country. Wisconsin is also great at the free throw line averaging over 75% as a team, which is good for top-50 in the country.<\/p>\n The Badgers have remained efficient on both ends of the floor while playing one of the toughest schedules in the country so far. The best player on the floor for them is Johnny Davis, who averages over 21 points per game and just under eight rebounds per game. He\u2019s currently ranked 7th overall for KenPom Player of the Year and the Badgers will need him to pull the upset at Illinois tonight.<\/p>\n The Double-Double Machine<\/h3>\nThe Illini will look to counter Davis with big man Kofi Cockburn, who averages a double-double on the season (21 ppg, 11 rpg) while shooting 58-percent from the field. Illinois comes in with a team that boasts more experience than the Badgers, led by seniors Alfonso Plummer, Trent Frazier and Jacob Grandison. Not only do the Fighting Illini have a strong inside game, but they shoot it deep as well, ranking 33rd nationally in three-point shooting percentage.<\/p>\n The Illini defense does not force many turnovers, so they\u2019ll have to rely on forcing Wisconsin into missing difficult a lot of difficult shots. We should see a hostile environment in Champaign tonight.<\/p>\n \n \n Illinois vs Wisconsin Analysis from GoldSheet<\/h2>\nBrad Underwood\u2019s team has dropped games to Arizona and Purdue at Champaign\u2019s State Farm Arena but it took a massive effort by both elite teams to pull off those victories, and Wisconsin isn\u2019t as deep as either of those squads. The Badgers will have to run up against both Kofi Cockburn and Andre Curbelo, who has been cleared to return from COVID protocols, and will be playing for the first time since Jan. 21.<\/p>\n The Badgers have lost only one true road game (Dec. 11, 73-55 at Ohio State) but they\u2019ve failed to cover the number in three-straight contests, getting blown out at Michigan State before struggling with Nebraska and Minnesota. Wisconsin has won its four games outside Madison in 2022, impressively upsetting Purdue to begin the run. Tyler Wahl and 7-footers Steven Crowl and Chris Vogt will look to slow down Kofi Cockburn, who averaged 20 points and 10.5 rebounds on 17-for-26 shooting in a pair of Illinois\u2019 wins over Wisconsin last season.<\/p>\n \n |
![\"Illinois](\"https:\/\/www.wagertalk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screenshot-2022-02-02-12.16.57-PM.png\")
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