Iowa Hawkeyes ncaab vs Illinois Fighting Illini Prediction, Odds and Picks for Tuesday, 02/25/25

Tonight, the Iowa Hawkeyes and Illinois Fighting Illini clash in a battle between 2 teams that have seen their NCAA Tournament aspirations dwindle. Iowa sits at 15-12 and ranks 13th in the Big Ten, while Illinois — once a promising contender — has dropped to 17-11 and holds the eighth spot in the conference. Illinois enters this game on the heels of a brutal 3-game stretch against top-10 opponents — Michigan State, Wisconsin and Duke — that all resulted in losses. The most alarming defeat came against Duke at Madison Square Garden, where the Illini shot an abysmal 2-of-26 from beyond the arc in a 43-point defeat. 

A matchup against the Big Ten’s worst defensive team, Iowa, offers a prime opportunity for Illinois to bounce back. The Hawkeyes struggle immensely at defending 2-point attempts, which should allow the Illini to find easy scoring opportunities inside. Despite their recent slump, the Fighting Illini still boast strong perimeter shooters in Kylan Boswell, Ben Humrichous and Tre White — who could see shooting progression. That being said, Iowa hasn’t completely folded. The Hawkeyes recently put up a fight against Oregon, secured a road win at Rutgers and handled Washington. With their Big Ten Tournament hopes still alive, expect a competitive effort.

From a betting perspective, the over looks enticing. Illinois conference games have hit the over 65% of the time, and Iowa’s conference games have gone over 56% of the time. On the road, Iowa’s games have soared over at a 71% clip. Given both teams play at a top-20 pace nationally, expect an up-tempo, high-scoring track meet.

Iowa vs Illinois prediction: Over 170.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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