Illinois Fighting Illini at No. 25 Michigan Wolverines
Sunday, 2/12/12, 1:00 PM EST, TV: CBS
Opening Point Spread: Michigan -5.5
Current Betting Line: Michigan -5.5
Opening Total: 119
Current Total: 118.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Illinois hits the road for the second consecutive game and looks to snap a two-game losing streak, which includes an 84-71 loss to the Indiana Hoosiers as 5.5-point underdogs. “We’re close,” commented Fighting Illini head coach Bruce Weber. “We’ve just got to see if we can connect it all together.” The Fighting Illini have tallied a 1-4 record in conference road games, while also dropping their last six away from home against ranked competition since Feb. 9, 2010. Illinois is 0-2 ATS as a road underdog of 3.5 to 6 points.
The Fighting Illini have played a lot of close games this season, sitting just behind Gardner-Webb nationally in playing 12 games that have been decided by five points or less. Illinois had won four straight games in this series until dropping a 60-55 decision to Michigan in last year’s Big Ten tournament. Brandon Paul is the player to watch offensively, ranking third in scoring during league play in averaging 19.4 points per game in those affairs.
Michigan has been very inconsistent in alternating wins and losses over its last eight games, as it comes off a 62-46 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers as three-point home favorites. The Wolverines offense has been spotty at times, as the squad has relied upon a defensive unit that’s allowed just 59.9 points over the last seven games. The program has registered a perfect 13-0 record at home this season and has won its last 14 games inside the Crisler Center. Michigan is 7-5 ATS as a favorite this season and the “under” is 7-5 in those games.
The Wolverines really got things going from beyond the arc against the Cornhuskers, hitting 11-of-24 shots from 3-point range, while knocking down 52.2 percent of all their shots from the floor. Michigan has two starters that average double figures in scoring, with junior guard Tim Hardaway Jr. leading the way in averaging 14.3 points per game. The team is 72-85 all-time in this series, but has posted a solid 47-28 mark at home, winning two of three in Sunday’s venue under the direction of current head coach John Beilein.
Bettors will likely back the Wolverines due to their 5-1 ATS mark as a home favorite of 6.5 points or less, while the Fighting Illini are 0-5 ATS on Sundays.
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