Ohio State vs Illinois Odds, Spread & Predictions (Jan. 24)

• Big Ten contenders Illinois and Ohio State meet on Tuesday, January 24
• Illinois a 3.5-point home favorite against the Buckeyes at the State Farm Center
• Read below for Ohio State vs Illinois odds and prediction

Illinois (13-6, 4-4 Big Ten) is a 3.5-point home favorite over Ohio State in a Big Ten game at 7 pm ET Tuesday on ESPN at the State Farm Center. The Illini had a four-game winning streak broken in an 80-65 home loss to Indiana the last time out Thursday.

Ohio State (11-8, 3-5 Big Ten) broke a five-game losing streak with a decisive 93-77 home victory over Iowa the last time out Saturday. The Buckeyes are in a stretch in which they play five of seven on the road.

Ohio State vs Illinois Odds

Odds from FanDuel on Jan. 23. Claim this week’s FanDuel promo code. 

Illinois is a 3.5-point favorite against Ohio State at home, where the Buckeyes have held the upper hand in the last five meetings. Ohio State is 4-1 SU and ATS in the five games in Champaign-Urbana since 2014 in a series that is often played only once a year because of the league’s unbalanced schedule.

Ohio State is 3-3 SU and 5-1 ATS in the last six, which includes a 91-88 overtime loss-and-cover in the championship game of 2021 Big Ten tournament. Over the longer haul, the Buckeyes are 11-4 SU and 9-6 ATS in the last 15.

The Buckeyes are 8-11 ATS this season, 1-4 ATS on the road. Illinois had a four-game win-and-cover streak broken against Indiana. The Illini are 10-8-1 ATS, 6-4-1 ATS at home.

Illinois’ New Lineup Helps

The Illini’s four game win-and-cover streak landed with a thud in the home loss to Indiana, when they had no answer to Trayce Jackson Davis (35 points) and the hot-shooting Hoosiers. Indiana shot a season-high 61.8 percent from the floor and led by as many as 19 in the first half. The Illini shot only 38.7 percent. Terrence Shannon Jr. (18.1 points, 5.5 rebounds per) had 26 points and four threes, but freshman guard Sincire Harris was the only Illinois player who made more than half his field goal attempts.

Terrence Shannon Jr led @IlliniMBB to two more wins last week and averaged an insane 21 PPG, 8 RPG, 2.5 APG and 2.5 SPG, earning himself Illinois NIL Store Player of the Week honors. The Illini beat Nebraska and Michigan State. Support TJ below! 🧡💙 pic.twitter.com/sQqfHWdWaG

— Illinois NIL Store (@illinistore) January 18, 2023

The Illini are 5-2 SU and ATS since coach Brad Underwood inserted point 6′ Harris and Baylor transfer sophomore 6’9 Dain Dainja into the starting lineup in an 85-52 victory against Bethune-Cookman. Dainja (10.3 points. 5.9 rebounds) adds a needed physical inside presence for a perimeter-oriented group. Senior 6’9 Matthew Mayer (10.5, 4.6, 34 threes) and junior 6’10 Coleman Hawkins (9.6, 6.0, 25 threes) play from the outside, giving slasher Shannon room inside.

Ohio State Snaps Out of It

Ohio State rediscovered its offense in its 93-77 victory over Iowa the last time out, its first victory since a 16-point romp over Northwestern on New Year’s Day. Behind freshman forward Brice Sensabaugh’s season-high 27 points, the Buckeyes broke the 90-point barrier for the fifth time this season. Ohio State averaged 66.6 points a game and shot 40 percent from the field during its five-game skid, when four of the losses were by four points or less.

Brice Sensabaugh today in @OhioStateHoops’ win over Iowa:

📊 27 PTS 10-12 FG 4-5 3 PT

Sensabaugh is such an efficient scorer; one of the deadliest bucket getters in college basketball. 🪣#NBADraft

🎥: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/nVZXhBm1wQ

— No Ceilings (@NoCeilingsNBA) January 21, 2023

Forward 6’7 Justice Sueing  (12.9 points, 4.6 rebounds) and guard 6’3 Sean McNeil (9.9 points) came off the bench for the first time this season against Iowa, when senior Oklahoma State transfer guard 6’5 Isaac Likekele returned to the lineup with a career game — 18 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Likekele, a strong defender, missed time earlier this season to attend to personal matters.

Buckeyes center Zed Key (12.1 points, 8.1 rebounds) suffered a knee injury when he landed awkwardly after making a dunk in the final minute of the Iowa game. His status is unknown, but he appears unlikely to play. Key suffered a shoulder injury in a 71-69 loss to Purdue that started the Buckeyes’ skid, and he has worn a protective wrap since.

Ohio State vs Illinois Prediction

The Buckeyes have had the better of the series in Champaign-Urbana recently, and there is no reason to believe that will stop now against an Illinois team that is hard to pin down. The Illini’s best wins, over UCLA and Texas, are mitigated by double-digit losses to Northwestern and Penn State. Three of Ohio State’s recent losses were by four points or fewer, and the Buckeyes may  finally have shaken off the Purdue loss. The points are the play in a matchup that suits Ohio State.

• Pick: Ohio State +3.5 (-112)
• Season CBK: 25-12 ATS