NCAAB: #3 Purdue vs #12 Illinois Odds, and Picks (Mar 5)

• Purdue continues to roll, after taking down Michigan State 80-74 on Saturday.
• Illinois picked up a key victory at Wisconsin, winning 91-83, and rising to 22-7.
• These two teams last faced off on January 5, in a game that Purdue won 83-78.

Selection Sunday is just two weeks away! Let’s look at this Big-10 clash between the Purdue Boilermakers and the Illinois Fighting Illini. These two teams are on track to claim a 4-seed or better in the tournament.

How to Watch

• Peacock

Preview

Purdue remains cemented on the projected 1-seed line for the upcoming NCAA Tournament. They’ve been one of the most consistent teams on both sides of the ball this season, led by 7’4 C Zach Edey. The Boilermakers can clinch the Big-10 regular season title with a win here against Illinois. They’ll enter this year’s NCAA Tournament hoping to end a streak of three straight first-round losses to double-digit seeds.

Illinois continued to climb in the rankings, after picking up a big win at Wisconsin. They still have a chance to claim the Big-10 title, but need to split the season series against Purdue by winning this game to stay alive. Regardless of that result, the Fighting Illini are likely to finish in the Big-10’s top two spots, and are a lock to make the NCAA Tournament. They’ll put their balanced attack to the test against Purdue and Edey.

Prediction

This should be an excellent matchup between the Big-10’s top two teams. When they last faced off back in January, the Boilermakers emerged as the victors by five points on their home court. That bodes well for Illinois’ chances of getting a win of their own back in Champaign. I expect this game to come down to the wire, with the Fighting Illini getting just enough on offense to win this matchup and split the season series.

NCAAB Picks:

• Illinois 76, Purdue 73 (ILL +2.5)