Illinois vs. Penn State Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Wednesday, Feb. 21
Wednesday's college basketball action will see a showdown between No. 12 Illinois and Penn State. Both teams have had opposite seasons to date with Illinois being a nationally ranked team at 19-6 overall, while unranked Penn State needs a huge final stretch of its season to have any shot at the NCAA Tournament.
Do the Nittany Lions have any hope of snapping their three-game losing streak? That's what I'm going to attempt to answer in this full betting preview.
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Illinois vs. Penn State odds, spread, and total
Illinois vs. Penn State betting trends
- Illinois is 14-5-1 ATS in its last 20 games
- The OVER is 5-0 in Illinois' last five games
- The OVER is 7-0 in Illinois' last seven road games
- Penn State is 4-2 ATS in its last six games
- The OVER is 14-6 in Penn State's last 20 games
Illinois vs. Penn State how to watch
- Date: Wednesday, February 21
- Game Time: 6:30 PM EST
- Venue: Bryce Jordan Center
- How to Watch (TV): BTN
- Illinois Record: 19-6 (10-4 in Big Ten)
- Penn State Record: 12-14 (6-9 in Big Ten)
Illinois vs. Penn State key players to watch
Illinois
Coleman Hawkins: The Illinois forward is one of the biggest difference makers the Fighting Illini have. He's averaging 1.7 steals per game this season while also being the second leading rebounder, averaging 6.2 Toss in 2.8 assists per game and this guy can contribute all over the court.
Penn State
Ace Baldwin Jr: Kanye Clary is no longer with the team, which means it's time for Ace Baldwin Jr. to step up in a big way for the Nittany Lions. He had a rough showing in the first game with Clary on Saturday, scoring just 10 points on 4-of-11 shooting, so he'll need to take a step forward tonight to give Penn State a chance at pulling off the upset.
Illinois vs. Penn State prediction and pick
I don't know if Penn State is going to be able to pull off this upset, but I'm absolutely going to take them getting points at home.
Illinois has had some big time defensive struggles when playing on the road this season. Its opponent's effective field goal percentage foes up a whopping 8% when the Fighting Illini are away from their home court.
That could be bad news for them against a Penn State team that is better than its record indicates. The Nittany Lions' effective field goal percentage sits at a solid 52.6% when playing on their home court and their average scoring margin goes from -6.9 on the road to +9.8 at home.
It's tough to lay points on a Big Ten on the road and I have no interest in doing that tonight, even with Illinois being a nationally ranked team and Penn State sporting a losing record.
Pick: Penn State +7.5
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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