Even a major snowstorm pelting the Midwest cannot overshadow the Wednesday college basketball betting hype surrounding a battle for Big Ten supremacy between No. 11 Wisconsin and No. 18 Illinois.
Can Wisconsin recapture the magic of last month’s signature win at Purdue? Will Illinois produce its second straight home victory over a top-15 team?
Props.com breaks down the Wednesday college basketball betting odds for Wisconsin vs. Illinois, as well as Villanova vs. Marquette, a top-25 clash that also has first-place implications in the Big East.
Odds via FanDuel and updated as of 12 noon ET on Feb. 2.
No. 11 Wisconsin Vs No. 18 Illinois
Tipoff/TV: 9 p.m. ET/Big Ten Network
Wisconsin: 17-3 SU (8-2 Big 12)/12-8 ATS
Illinois: 15-5 SU (8-2 Big 12)/9-11 ATS
Spread/Total: Illinois -7 (-110)/136.5
Last meeting: Illinois defeated the Badgers for a third consecutive time last year, hanging on for a 74-69 victory as a 4.5-point home underdog (Feb. 27, 2021). Previously, Wisconsin had won 15 consecutive meetings from 2011-19 (13-2 ATS)
About Wisconsin: The Badgers have won nine of their last 10 games, including Sunday’s 66-60 home victory over Minnesota (although they failed to cover as an 11.5-point favorite). Wisconsin is 2-5 in its last seven road matchups against ranked opponents. The Badgers rank near the bottom in the Big Ten in several offensive categories, including scoring (10th, 72.4 ppg), three-point proficiency (11th, 32.9%), and field-goal shooting (42.2%). However, they have the league’s second-best free-throw shooting rate (75.7%) and are allowing just 66.5 ppg.
About Illinois: The Illini are 8-2 in their last 10 games, including Saturday’s 59-56 win at Northwestern. Illinois just missed covering as a 5.5-point favorite, the team’s fourth straight ATS setback. In the Big Ten, the Illini rank first in rebounds (41.1 per game), second in made three-pointers (9.5 per game), third in scoring offense (77.2 ppg), and third in three-point proficiency (36.9%).
What’s At Stake: Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan State share the Big Ten lead at 8-2. The Fighting Illini (14th) and Badgers (21st) have strong marks in the NCAA’s NET rankings, meaning both schools are presumably in good shape for earning a strong seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Players To Watch
Wisconsin guard Jonathan Davis entered this season as an NBA lottery prospect, and he’s done nothing to halt the hype. The 6-foot-5 sophomore leads the Badgers in four major categories: scoring (21.4 ppg), rebounding (7.9 per game), assists (2.4 per game), and steals (1.3 per game). Davis has scored in double figures in every game (tallying at least 15 points in 16 of 18 contests), and he’s pulled down at least eight rebounds in seven of his last nine games.
Illinois center and Big Ten Player of the Year candidate Kofi Cockburn returned from a concussion-related two-game absence Saturday and dominated Northwestern, putting up 22 points and nine rebounds. The 7-foot junior is averaging a team-best 21.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. He’s also shooting 58.9 percent from the field, and has notched 11 double-doubles in 15 games.
Notable Trends
- Wisconsin has followed a 5-0 ATS run by failing to cash in its last three (all as a favorite)
- Wisconsin is 6-2 ATS in its last eight road games, including 3-1 SU/ATS as an underdog
- Illinois has followed an 8-2 ATS run by going 0-4 ATS in its last four (all as a favorite)
- Over is 8-2 in Wisconsin’s last 10 overall (Under 2-0 last two)
- Over is 7-3 in Wisconsin’s last 10 on the road
- Over is 11-4 in Illinois’ last 15 overall and 7-2-1 in its last 10 at home
- Illinois is 4-0 ATS in the last four series meetings
- Road team is 5-1 ATS in the last six series clashes
- Over is 2-0-1 in the last three head-to-head battles after Under was 9-1 in previous 10
Illinois Vs Wisconsin Odds and Action
UPDATE 5:30 P.M. ET: Illinois has bounced between -6.5 and -7 a few times over the past 24 hours in DraftKings’ Wednesday college basketball betting market. The Illini also had a brief stay at -7.5 late this morning, then returned to -7, and they’re now back at the -6.5 opener. Underdog Wisconsin is nabbing 76% of spread tickets and 82% of spread dollars. The total tumbled from 140 to 135.5, rebounded to 137 and is now 136.5 (-105). The Over is seeing 65% of tickets, but 55% of cash is on the Under.
No. 12 Villanova Vs No. 24 Marquette
Tipoff/TV: 10 p.m. ET/FS1
Villanova: 16-5 SU (9-2 Big East)/12-9 ATS
Marquette: 15-7 SU (7-4 Big East)/14-8 ATS
Spread/Total: Villanova -4.5 (-110)/133.5
Last meeting: Marquette stunned Villanova 57-54 as a 13.5-point underdog (Jan. 19)
About Villanova-Marquette: Villanova is on a 9-1 SU roll (7-3 ATS), the only setback being last month’s upset loss to Marquette. Most recently, the Wildcats dumped St. John’s 73-62 on Saturday, but came up short as a 13.5-point home chalk. A day later, Marquette’s seven-game winning streak ended in a 65-63 road loss to Providence. However, the Golden Eagles covered as a 2.5-point underdog for their eighth straight ATS triumph. Marquette (73.7 ppg) and Villanova (72.5 ppg) rank fifth and seventh, respectively, in the Big East in scoring offense. Three of the last four series meetings have topped Wednesday’s consensus total, with last month’s clash being the exception.
Notable Trends
- Villanova has followed a 6-0 ATS run by going 1-3 ATS in its last four
- Marquette is on positive ATS runs of 8-0 overall, 4-0 at home and 6-0 ATS as an underdog
- Over is 4-1 in Villanova’s last five road games
- Under is 5-0 in Marquette’s last five games
- Under is 5-2 in the last seven series meetings
Villanova Vs Marquette Odds and Action
UPDATE 5:30 P.M. ET: DraftKings toggled between Villanova -4 and -4.5 a couple of times, and the line is currently -4.5, with plenty of time to go before this 10 p.m. ET tip. It’s two-way action on the spread, with 58% of tickets on Marquette and 52% of money on Villanova. The total opened at 134, bottomed out at 132 and is now 132.5, with 77% of tickets on the Over, but money running almost dead even.
