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College Basketball

Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers Picks, Predictions, Odds

Kevin Rogers
Kevin Rogers Sports Betting Expert
3 minute read
Jan. 4, 2022
Dan Dobish
VI Betting Expert
VegasInsider.com

The Illinois Fighting Illini (9-3, 2-0 Big Ten) travel to meet the Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-1, 1-1) at Williams Arena in Minneapolis on Tuesday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on Big Ten Network.

Score Prediction

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Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers Predictions

The last time we saw the Illini, they were taking on Mizzou at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis on Dec. 22. It's been a while due to the holidays and COVID issues, etc. Illinois has picked up victories in seven of the past eight games overall, with only a four-point setback at home to Arizona on Dec. 11 as the only negative game. And even then, that was not a bad loss, as the Wildcats are one of the top teams out west.

In the win over Mizzou, the Illini hit 57%, or 33-of-58 from the field, led by Kofi Cockburn with his 25 points and 9-for-15 shooting. He also added 14 boards, with two steals and an assist, too. Alfonso Plummer racked up 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting, and he was one of three players to hit at least three triples. The Illini hit just 67%, or 10-of-15, from the charity stripe, and the Illini turned it over 14 times, so there is still work to be done.

Minnesota has been good for three consecutive victories since its only setback against Michigan State, 75-67, just missing as seven-point underdogs. While the Gophers are just 2-4-1 ATS across the past seven outings for a lack of consistency, the OVER is 4-1 in the past five outings to make total bettors happy.

Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers Betting Odds

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Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers Betting Resources

  • Matchup: Big 10
  • Date: Tuesday, January 4, 2022
  • Venue: Williams Arena
  • Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • TV-Time: BTN - 7:00 p.m. ET

Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Analysis

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

  • SU: 9-3
  • ATS: 6-6
  • O/U: 9-3

Minnesota Golden Gophers Betting Analysis

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

  • SU: 10-1
  • ATS: 6-4-1
  • O/U: 6-5


The favorite has cashed in 25 of the past 34 meetings between these teams. (AP)

Inside the Stats - Illinois Fighting Illini

  • Record: 9-3
  • VI Ranking: 27
  • PS/G: 81.2 (23rd)
  • PA/G: 65.6 (112th)
  • ORtg: 115.5 (18th)
  • DRtg: 93.4 (103rd)

Inside the Stats - Minnesota Golden Gophers

  • Record: 10-1
  • VI Ranking: 38
  • PS/G: 72.0 (189th)
  • PA/G: 63.1 (67th)
  • ORtg: 105.0 (139th)
  • DRtg: 92.0 (77th)

Key Players to Watch

  • ILL: Kofi Cockburn - C (21.8 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 62.2 FG%)
  • ILL: Alfonso Plummer - G (17.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 97.3 FT%, 44.7 3P%)
  • MINN: Jamison Battle - F (18.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 49.7 FG%)
  • MINN: Payton Willis - G (16.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.6 SPG)

Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers Betting Conclusion

Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Minnesota Golden Gophers Betting Trends

  • Illinois is 5-1 ATS in the past six games overall.
  • Illinois is 4-1 ATS in the past five vs. winning teams.
  • Minnesota is 0-3-1 ATS in the past four games at home.
  • The OVER is 8-0 in the past eight games for Illinois.
  • The OVER is 14-6 in the past 20 road games for Illinois.
  • The OVER is 4-1 in the past five vs. winning teams for Illinois.
  • The OVER is 4-1 in the past five games overall for Minnesota.
  • The UNDER is 11-5 in the past 16 home games for Minnesota.
  • The home team is 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings.
  • The favorite is 25-9 ATS in the past 34 meetings.

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Kevin Rogers

Kevin Rogers

Kevin has been handicapping professionally since 2007 at VegasInsider before shifting to ScoresAndOdds. He focuses on MLB, NFL, college football, NBA, college basketball, and NHL and mainly uses trends, systems, and situations as his top handicapping angles. More from Kevin Rogers
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