The No. 23 ranked Indiana Hoosiers (14-4) basketball team rides a five-game winning streak into Champaign, Ill., tonight where they take on the Illinois Fighting Illini (14-7) for the first time this season. Indiana is looking for its third straight road victory after defeating Penn State, 84-74, on Jan. 13 and downing Connecticut, 77-73, on Jan. 20 while Illinois looks to get back on the winning track after dropping a home game to Wisconsin 71-64, also on Saturday. Tip-off for the game is at 7 p.m. EST.
Illinois is the home favorite according to Nine.com offering the Fighting Illini on the side bet at -2 ½ points with a total of 132 ½. The price on the money line at Nine.com shows Illinois at -145 and Indiana at +125.
After opening the season 12-3, Illinois has dropped four of its first six conference games and five of its last seven contests overall. The Illini sit 14-7 overall and 2-4 in Big Ten play, but boast a 9-3 mark on their home court.
Senior forward Warren Carter leads Illinois with 13.6 points per game with Shaun Pruitt right behind averaging 11.3 points per game and 7.2 boards per contest. Sophomore guard Jamar Smith is contributing 9.7 points off the bench, while senior guard Rich McBride is averaging 9.2 points every time out.
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After losing its first three road games, Indiana has won back-to-back contests away from Bloomington. The Hoosiers defeated Penn State, 84-74, on Jan. 13 and held off Connecticut, 77-73, on Jan. 20. In the two games, the Hoosiers have averaged 80.5 points, shot 46.5 percent from the floor, 44.2 percent from downtown and 82.1 percent from the free throw line with a plus-1.5 assist-turnover margin.
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Winning nine of its last 10 games, Indiana has posted 74.8 points per game, shot 46.4 percent overall, 40.5 from 3-point range, and 77.5 from the charity stripe and posted a plus-1.4 assist/turnover margin. Five Hoosiers have averaged double figures, led by junior forward D.J. White (14.6). Freshman guard Armon Bassett (11.8), senior guard Roderick Wilmont (11.6), senior guard Earl Calloway (11.0) and junior guard A.J. Ratliff (10.3) also have scored in double figures.
Indiana leads the all-time series over Illinois, 79-76, but the Illini own a 45-30 edge in games played in Champaign. The two teams split the season series last year, with the Hoosiers winning in Bloomington, 62-60, and the Illini winning in Champaign, 70-58. Illinois has won six of the last seven games, and 11 of the last 15, in the series. The Illini also own a five-game winning streak over the Hoosiers at Assembly Hall.
