Northwestern Wildcats vs Illinois Fighting Illini 2/23/2023 Picks Predictions Previews
The #21 Northwestern Wildcats will go against the Illinois Fighting Illini in NCAAB action in State Farm Center, IL, on Thursday, February 23, 2023, at 9:00 PM ET.
Northwestern was dominating games all season long, and the Wildcats finally received credit for it.
They defeated then No. 1 Purdue and then No. 14 Indiana during that period, which saw them win five straight contests and eight of their previous 10.
Their most recent victory, an 80-60 win over Iowa on Sunday, propelled them into the top 25 of the most recent poll.
With the victory over the Hawkeyes, they completed a 3-game homestand and will now play three of their last four road matches. Joe Lunardi of ESPN had Northwestern as the sixth seed.
As the Wildcats’ modified offensive efficiency ratings place them outside the top 100, they relied on their defense to win games.
They were not making good shots, shooting 31.8% from outside the arc and 47.7% from within the arc, placing them 306 in effective field goal percentage.
The No. 17 national turnover rate was Northwestern’s strength in that area. The Illinois defense, which ranks No. 22 in field goal percentage, will be tested by the Wildcats.
Boo Buie, a senior guard, tops Northwestern with 17.0 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game, and Chase Audige, a senior guard, contributes 14.8 points per contest.
- The total went UNDER in 6 of Northwestern’s last 6 matches.
- The Northwestern Wildcats are 5-0 SU in their last 5 matches.
- The Wildcats are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games with Illinois.
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Northwestern Wildcats vs Illinois Fighting Illini Predictions 2/23/2023
Illinois is now a No. 7 seed in Lunardi’s most recent projections and is included in the NCAA Tournament tournament.
In an eight-game period in January, the Fighting Illini went 7-0, but they dropped 3 of their last 5 games.
After losing consecutive games to Penn State and Indiana, they recovered by defeating Minnesota on Monday night by a score of 78–69.
In the victory over the Golden Gophers, Matthew Mayer scored 22 points, and RJ Melendez added 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Due to a concussion, it was Illini’s second game without their leading scorer Terrence Shannon Jr. He is questionable for this game.
Mayer adds 12.6 points and 5.3 rebounds a game, while Shannon averages 17.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest.
Both rookie guard Jayden Epps and sophomore forward Dain Dainja each have ten-point performances. With a 31.5% 3-point shooting percentage, they are rated No. 92 in effective field goal percentage going into this match.
They rank 215 and 311 in those statistics, respectively, and have issues with turnover rate and FT percentage.
Northwestern’s defense, which is ranked No. 21 in adjusted efficiency, will be tested against Illinois. When these teams met at the beginning of January, the Wildcats won 73-60.
- The Illinois Fighting Illini is 10-3 ATS in their last 13 matches.
- The total went UNDER in 6 of Illinois’ last 9 matches.
- The Illinois Fighting Illini is 9-4 SU in their last 13 matches.
#21 Northwestern Wildcats vs Illinois Fighting Illini. The NCAAB pick for this game is the #21 Northwestern Wildcats.
In pretty much every definition of the word, Northwestern was operating quite covertly over the past month.
Because the Wildcats were not discussed in the media or priced fairly in the betting market, their supporters were able to cash tickets in five consecutive games.
They swept each of those five contests, positioning themselves as a late contender for the Big Ten championship. The Illini is playing well overall, but you might not want to pick them until Shannon is fully recovered.
The #21 Northwestern Wildcats will win to a predicted score of 70-66.
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Northwestern Wildcats vs Illinois Fighting Illini 2/23/2023 Picks Predictions Previews
NCAAB Starting Time: 9:00 PM (EDT)
Location: State Farm Center, IL
Date: Thursday, February 23, 2023
TV: BTN
NCAAB Odds: #21 Northwestern Wildcats +5
NCAAB Totals: 136.5