The Illinois Fighting Illini take on the Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington, IN. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on Peacock.
Illinois is favored by 3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -170. The total is set at 157.5 points.
Here are my Illinois vs. Indiana predictions and college basketball picks for January 14, 2025.
Illinois vs Indiana Prediction
My Pick: Under 157.5 or Better
My Illinois vs Indiana best bet is on the under, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Illinois vs Indiana Odds, Spread
| Illinois Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -110 | 157.5 -110o / -110u | -170 |
| Indiana Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -110 | 157.5 -110o / -110u | +145 |
- Illinois vs Indiana spread: Illinois -3.5
- Illinois vs Indiana over/under: 157.5 points
- Illinois vs Indiana moneyline: Illinois -170, Indiana +145
- Illinois vs Indiana best bet: Under 157.5 or Better
Illinois vs Indiana College Basketball Betting Preview
Editor's Note: Malik Reneau is out for Indiana.
For a team built this offseason, Illinois is off to a great start. The Illini rank 345th in continuity from last season, per KenPom. The top eight scorers from last year's team — which reached the Elite Eight — are gone.
The top six scorers from this year's team are new arrivals, a mix of freshmen and transfers, hailing from power conference teams, mid-majors and abroad. Coach Brad Underwood having this team gelling so soon — to the tune of 12-4 with five wins over KenPom top-50 foes, — is a minor miracle.
Illinois enters this game off a loss, a disappointing defeat at home to USC. The Illini shot dreadfully in that game and couldn't stay in front of Desmond Claude, who popped off for 31 points.
Most notable, however, was the absence of Kasparas Jakucionis.
The Lithuanian freshman leads Illinois in scoring this season but has now missed two straight games with a forearm injury. Underwood has yet to reveal if Jakucionis will suit up in Bloomington. Until that's solidified, it's unwise to commit to a bet here.
In theory, the Illini offense can survive on the backs of the five other players topping 9.4 points per game this season.
Against Penn State, that was no issue. Illinois ran up 91 points, with three players topping the 20-point mark.
Against USC, however, the Illini looked astray at times. Long stretches without a good look at the rim let USC build a second-half lead that the Trojans wouldn't relinquish.
There are college basketball coaches with a hotter seat than Mike Woodson, but few fan bases are capable of turning up the heat quite like the Hoosier faithful. This is now the fourth year of the Woodson era, with just one trip to the Round of 32 (and none further) in the first three seasons.
At Indiana, that's not good enough. Archie Miller was shown the door after four years without a tourney appearance (though likely would have made it in the canceled season in 2020), but Tom Crean won a Big Ten title and reached three Sweet 16 (!) before getting fired. Few programs operate like Indiana.
This season's team leaves the Woodson question in doubt. There's plenty of talent. Oumar Ballo and Luke Goode were major scores in the transfer portal and have produced. The Hoosiers are 13-4, but by KenPom ranking, they've lost to the four best teams they've played.
A home date versus the Illinois should offer a chance to change that.
Indiana also has a major injury issue. Leading scorer Malik Reneau has now missed three straight games, including the Hoosiers' last outing: a 25-point drubbing at Iowa.
In that game, the Indiana offense was dire, managing only 0.83 points per possession. That was the Hoosiers' worst mark of the season and worse than Mississippi Valley State's 364th-ranked offense averages.
Illinois vs. Indiana Betting Analysis
Without confirming the status of Jakucionis and Reneau, there's simply no good reason to bet on this game. If both play, it could be a spot for the Illini to bounce back after a loss, even in a tough road environment.
If either plays while the other sits, his team certainly would have value until the line moves. I'd expect either player to shift the line three or more points if news of their participation breaks before gametime.
If neither ends up playing, which is certainly possible given their recent showings, my eyes turn to the total. The number, set at 158, is high for two teams that have had their struggles with their stars sidelined.
I'm inclined to take the under, with an eye out for injury news.
