Illinois Fighting Illini at Penn State Nittany Lions Betting Preview
The No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions will try to stay hot on Tuesday night when they host the Illinois Fighting Illini, who are desperate to get a win. At home, Penn State is a seven-point favorite with an over/under of 141.5 points.
The Nittany Lions might be the hottest team in the Big Ten right now. They’ve rattled off eight wins in a row with their last loss coming just over a month ago. Of course, the Nittany Lions remain a game back of Maryland in the conference standings, so they need to keep it going if they hope to win the regular-season Big Ten title.
As for the Illini, they are officially reeling after losing their fourth straight game over the weekend. Not long ago, it was Illinois that had won seven in a row, but now the Illini are approaching a danger zone.
The first three of their losses were close games, but a 15-point loss to Rutgers was no doubt a huge hit to their confidence, as they are now just 16-9 overall and 8-6 in Big Ten play.
A Big Wall
Part of the trouble for Illinois during its losing streak has been the play of center Kofi Cockburn, who may have hit a wall in his development as a freshman. In fairness, he’s coming off a double-double in the loss to Rutgers.
However, he’s averaging just nine points per game during the team’s current losing streak despite scoring close to 14 points per game on the season.
The Fighting Illini, to their credit, aren’t helpless without Cockburn. However, top scorer Ayo Dosunmu has been out with a knee injury suffered two games ago, and Andres Feliz isn’t a great outside shooter.
If Cockburn doesn’t give them a scoring threat in the post, the Illini can be a little limited offensively, which is why they’ve come up a little short in games recently.
Inside-Outside
Penn State’s success this season is largely a result of the Nittany Lions being able to attack teams both inside and outside. Inside the arc, they have one of the best scorers in the Big Ten in Lamar Stevens, who averages close to 18 points and seven rebounds per game.
He’s not far removed from a 33-point effort against Minnesota, carrying the Nittany Lions to victory in that game. Penn State also has a strong post presence in Mike Watkins, who averages 10 points per game and tends to dominate against teams that lack size inside.
Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions get dynamic guard play from Myreon Jones. The sophomore dropped 20 points on Michigan State in his last game but has missed the team’s last three games due to illness. The Nittany Lions are hoping to get him back for Tuesday’s game, although he may not be full speed right away.
Not So Easy
The Nittany Lions have been able to beat up on some of the teams in the bottom half of the Big Ten during their eight-game winning streak. Things won’t come so easy for the Nittany Lions against a desperate Illinois team, especially with Cockburn patrolling the paint. Bet on the Illini to beat the seven-point spread.
