Illinois Fighting Illini vs Alabama Crimson Tide Prediction, Odds and Picks for Wednesday, 11/20/24

The Crimson Tide and Fighting Illini square off in a showdown between Alabama’s high powered offense and Illinois’ stifling defense on Wednesday. For both squads, this game is an early test that will reveal much about their potential this season. We have a pretty good understanding of who Illinois will be, however, this is more for CBB to see how Alabama plays in a comeback spot.

Alabama looks to bounce back after an 87-78 loss to Purdue in West Lafayette, their first ranked test of the season. With five days to regroup, the Tide will benefit from the home crowd in Birmingham. However, questions linger for Nate Oats’ squad. Similar to other SEC programs, concerns remain about their defense, as they struggled in the paint and rely heavily on offense. Mark Sears, a preseason National Player of the Year candidate, has yet to hit his stride, shooting 1-of-6 from deep against Purdue. Despite these concerns, Alabama’s potent offense should prevail against Illinois in tonight’s matchup.

Illinois, on the other hand, faces its first ranked opponent of the season. While the Illini are averaging 89.3 points per game, the competition has been soft, as we can gather from early November college basketball, leaving uncertainty about how they’ll fare against a powerhouse. Led by Tomislav Ivisic and Arizona transfer Kylan Boswell, Illinois boasts immense talent but is still gelling. Home court and urgency favor Alabama, who needs to clean up its 3-point shooting and interior defense. I don’t see them coming out soft against #25 Illinois. Expect the Tide to bounce back and cover the 8-point spread in a statement win.

Illinois vs Alabama Prediction: Alabama -8 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number

If you’re looking for a new sportsbook for the NFL season, we recommend checking out Fanatics Sportsbook, where new users can sign up now and secure up to $1,000 in no-sweat bets. And if you’re in New York, you can bet $5 and INSTANTLY receive $50 in no-sweat bets! Join Fanatics Sportsbook, where you can bet on our Illinois vs Alabama predictions.