Rutgers vs Illinois Odds and Picks
- Illinois will bring a four-game winning streak into a Big Ten tournament quarterfinal game against Rutgers
- Rutgers overcame a double-digit deficit against Indiana for the third time this season to advance to the quarters
- Check the odds, analysis and betting predictions below
Third-ranked Illinois ( 20-6, 16-4) has won four straight games as it prepares to meet Rutgers in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals at 6:30pm ET on Friday. The Illini have won 11 of their last 12 and are 9-3 ATS in that run.
Rutgers (15-10, 10-10) advanced with a come-from-behind victory over Indiana in the second round Thursday. Rutgers and Illinois played once in the regular season, with the Scarlet Knights taking a 91-88 victory on Dec. 20.
Rutgers vs Illinois Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rutgers Scarlet Knights | +7.5 (-110) | +270 | O 137.5 (-110) |
| Illinois Fighting Illini | -7.5 (-110) | -340 | U 137.5 (-110) |
Odds from Bet365 on March 11.
Illinois has only lost once in the last eight weeks, an 81-72 defeat at Michigan State on Feb. 23 in which All-American guard Ayo Dosunmu suffered a broken nose and concussion. The Illini are playing for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and would clinch that by making the Big Ten finals.
Rutgers has overcome 15-, 16- and 10-point deficits to beat Indiana in their three wins this season. The Scarlet Knights trailed 21-11 in the first half Thursday. They are projected to be comfortably in the NCAA Tournament field as a seed in the 8-10 range.
Illinois Rising to the Challenge
Illinois has compiled a noteworthy run as it enters Big Ten tournament play after earning a double-bye into the quarterfinals.
Illinois’ final three victories in its current four-game winning streak came in eight days, and all were all on the road against then-No. 11 Wisconsin, then-No. 3 Michigan and then-No. 7 Ohio State.
The Illini beat consecutive top-10 opponents for the first time since the 2005 NCAA Tournament, when they stopped No. 9 Arizona and No. 4 Louisville before falling to North Carolina in the championship game.
Dosunmo missed the first three games of that winning streak with his injuries but returned, wearing a face mask, with 19 points, four rebounds and three assists in 36 minutes in the 73-68 victory at Ohio State in the regular-season finale March 6.
Illinois’ Double Trouble
Dosunmu, a 6-foot-5 junior, combines athleticism and range with a knack for taking (and making) the big shot, traits that make him very difficult to guard. With 7-foot center Kofi Cockburn solid in the paint, the Illini have an inside-out force few can equal.
Dosunmu has scored in double figures in 38 straight games and is averaging 20.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. If he he maintains that pace, he would be the only 20/6/5 player in NCAA Division I the last 11 seasons. He is second in the Big Ten in scoring and first in assists.
Cockburn, who weighs 285 pounds, is averaging 17.3 points and 9.6 rebounds while shooting 66% from the field. He is second in Division I with 15 double-doubles.
Cockburn and Dosunmu are the seventh-highest scoring teammates in Division I, the third among Power Six teammates, with a 38.2 scoring average. Senior forward Da’Monte Williams Division I in 3-point percentage, making 54.5% of his 55 threes.
Rutgers Shares the Wealth
The Scarlet Knights have three players scoring in doubles figures, led by Ron Harper Jr., who averages 15.2 and had 13 points and 11 rebounds against Indiana. Myles Johnson also had a double-double, and Rutgers used its defense to pull away.
The Scarlet Knights limited Indiana to 18 points and 27.6% shooting in the second half. Rutgers has held two conference opponents to 50 points or fewer for the first time the 2005-06 in the Big East. Opponents were shooting 41.5% against them entering the Big Ten tournament.
Illinois Has a Chip on Its Shoulder
Do not believe the Illini will take the Rutgers game, or any game, in this tournament lightly. Illinois feels it deserved to be at least co-champions in the Big Ten league with Michigan because it had more league victories.
The league decided early in the season that the title would be determined by winning percentage, and athletic director Josh Whitman on Tuesday released a letter critical of the Big Ten’s failure to reevaluate the process in the following months.
"Believe me, we're chasing a lot right now."
Tomorrow, a new season begins. #Illini | #EveryDayGuys pic.twitter.com/d1Jlot7vkc
— Illinois Men's Basketball (@IlliniMBB) March 12, 2021
Illinois and Michigan would not meet until finals Saturday.
By the Numbers
Illinois’ credentials are impeccable. The Illini lead NCAA Division I with nine Quad I victories, have 14 combined Quad 1-2 wins, second only to Alabama (15).
The Illini are fourth in the NCAA Net Rankings and fifth in KenPom’s adjusted efficiency margin, and they are one of three teams ranked in the KenPom top 10 in both adjusted offensive margin and adjusted defensive margin. Michigan and Houston are the others.
Illinois has three four-game winning streaks straight up and is 13-5 ATS since the Rutgers loss. Rutgers has won eight of 12 since a five-game losing streak at the start of the new year.
The Illini has momentum, talent and a mission.
The pick: Illinois -7.5 (-110)
Jack has covered college and professional sports for various Arizona media outlets since the 1980s and has written for the Associated Press, USA Today and Baseball America, among others. He staffed the 2015-17 World Series and has staffed four Super Bowls.
