Gambling NewsSports Betting News

Minnesota Golden Gophers at Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Preview

The action in the Big Ten heats up again Thursday night when the No. 19 Illinois Fighting Illini host the Minnesota Golden Gophers. At home, Illinois is a five-point favorite, with an over/under of 135.5 points.

Minnesota has endured an up-and-down season thus far, including a modest 6-4 record during non-conference play. The Golden Gophers are sitting at 5-5 in Big Ten play and are getting desperate for marquee wins. Minnesota has lost two of three, including a lopsided loss against Michigan State in its last time out.

Meanwhile, Illinois is near the top of the Big Ten standings, just half-game behind first-place Michigan State with a 7-2 record in conference play. The Illini are one of several Big Ten teams that look good for a bid to the NCAA Tournament right now.

Illinois is currently in the midst of a six-game winning streak, although four of those six wins have come by four points or less, so it has been able to survive a lot of close games lately.

On Both Ends

The defense has been a big key to the Illini’s success during their current winning streak. The winning streak started with Illinois holding Purdue to just 37 points.

The Illini have held three other teams to 62 points or less during that stretch and are giving up just 64.5 points per game on the season. The key has been freshman center Kofi Cockburn, who is averaging 1.5 blocks per game and clogs the lane with his 7-foot, 290-pound frame.

It also helps that Cockburn is a force on the offensive end as well, averaging 14.5 points per game. Meanwhile, sophomore guard Ayo Dosunmu leads the way with nearly 16 points per game.

Dosunmu is coming off a career-high 27 points in a win over Michigan last weekend. He leads a balanced Illinois attack that includes six players who average at least eight points per game.

Another Big Man

The Golden Gophers will look to counter Cockburn with a big man of their own in 6-10 sophomore Daniel Oturu, who is leading Minnesota in scoring this season with over 19 points per game. He’s been even better lately, averaging nearly 22 points per outing over his last eight games against Big Ten opponents.

Oturu is also a monster on the boards, grabbing over 11 rebounds per game while also blocking 2.5 shots per game. The kicker is that Oturu is an occasional threat to knock down a jump shot from the outside, so he may be able to draw Cockburn away from the basket.

That could help open up opportunities for the backcourt tandem of Marcus Carr and Gabe Kalscheur. Carr, in particular, is one of the most underrated guards in the Big Ten.

He’s giving the Golden Gophers 16 points and nearly seven assists per game, not to mention five rebounds per contest. However, one thing that’s held Minnesota back this season has been the absence of a consistent knockdown shooter on the perimeter.

Comfort Zone

The Golden Gophers are good enough to give Illinois some trouble. However, the Illini are balanced and have few glaring weaknesses. That should be enough to pull away late and win comfortably. Bet on Illinois covering the five-point spread on Thursday night.

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Check Also
Close