No. 5 Illinois vs. No. 2 Baylor
Series:
Illinois has a 3-0 lead in the series with a 2-0 record at neutral sites. The last meeting was in 2014 in Las Vegas when the Illini stopped the Bears, 62-54. Illini coach Brad Underwood is 0-4 vs. the Bears with two of those losses coming when he was at Oklahoma State.
Vs. the Spread:
The Fighting Illini is 2-4 ATS and the total has gone OVER in four of the last five Illinois basketball games. The lllini are 1-8 SU in their last nine games against the Big12 Conference. Baylor checks in at 13-7 ATS in the last 20 games and the total has gone UNDER in five to Baylor’s last six games against Big Ten competition.
| Teams | Spread | Money Line | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois Fighting Illini | +4½ (-105) | +180 | O 143 (-105) |
| Baylor Bears | -4½ (-115) | -210 | U 143 (-115) |
Last Time Out:
Illinois beat Ohio University, 77-75, when guard Ayo Dosunmu drove the length of the floor and scored on a layup and hit a free throw with 2.3 seconds remaining. Senior center Kofi Cockburn finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds for the 15th double-double of his career.
Baylor coach Scott Drew had to set out his second game as he recovered and quarantined from Covid-19, but the Bears had no problems downing Washington, 86-52. The Bears out rebounded the Huskies, 50-19 and scored 24 points off the offensive glass.
From The Reservation:
Dosunmu and Cockburn provide Underwood with one of the top inside-outside tandems in college basketball. Dosunmu has had an amazing beginning to his junior season by averaging 25.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists. He has shot 55.8 percent shooting and 42.9 percent from 3-point range. The Illini are the top rebounding team in the country as they grab 52.2 percent of their missed shots while allowing opponents to find only 7.3 percent of their misses.
Grizzly Grind:
Jared Butler and MaCio Teague provide a stellar matchup for Dosunmu and Trent Frazier in the backcourt. The Baylor duo have averaged 18.5 and 18 points, respectively as Butler had made 7-of-12 triples while Teague is showing up on the glass. Davion Mitchell, the Bears’ defensive stopper, will draw Dosunmu and try to keep him out of transition. Mark Vital and sophomore Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua are a pair of solid rebounders who have to work to keep Cockburn out of the paint
Winner: Illinois (+4.5) 72, Baylor 66
O/U: UNDER 143
