The No. 3 Michigan Wolverines (18-1) are 8.5-point favorites as they look to extend a seven-game winning streak when they host the No. 5 Illinois Fighting Illini (18-6) on Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at Crisler Center. The contest airs at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN. The matchup has an over/under set at 149.5 points.
The betting insights and predictions in this article reflect betting data from DraftKings as of March 1, 2021, 1:20 AM ET.
Betting Odds
| Favorite | Spread | Favorite Spread Odds | Underdog Spread Odds | Total | Over Total Odds | Under Total Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan | -8.5 | -115 | -106 | 149.5 | -108 | -113 |
Keys to the Game for Michigan
- Michigan covered the spread more often than not this season, going 15-3 against the spread.
- The Wolverines record against the spread as at least an 8.5-point favorite is above .500 at 6-1.
- Michigan has covered the over/under less than half of the time, in eight of 18 games (44.4%).
Against the Spread (ATS) records are only reflective of games that had odds on them.
Michigan Leaders
- The scoring and rebounding leader for the Wolverines is Hunter Dickinson, who accumulates 14.8 points and 7.8 rebounds per game.
- Mike Smith is Michigan’s best passer, dishing out 5.2 assists per game while scoring 8.7 PPG.
- Isaiah Livers makes more threes per game than any other member of the Wolverines, knocking down shots from beyond the arc at a clip of 2.5 per contest.
- The Michigan steals leader is Franz Wagner, who averages 1.4 takeaways per game, while its blocks leader is Dickinson, who compiles 1.6 rejections per contest.
Keys to the Game for Illinois
- Illinois has covered the spread in greater than half of its contests, going 14-8-1 ATS.
- When they are at least 8.5-point underdogs, the Fighting Illini have a record ATS of 5-4.
- Illinois and its opponents have hit the over in more than half of their matchups this year — 14 of 23 (60.9%).
Against the Spread (ATS) records are only reflective of games that had odds on them.
Illinois Leaders
- The Fighting Illini go-to guy, Ayo Dosunmu, leads the team in both scoring (21.0 points per game) and assists (5.3 assists per game).
- Kofi Cockburn collects all of the boards and is the Illinois leader in rebounds, pulling down 9.9 per game.
- Trent Frazier averages 2.0 made threes per game to pace the Fighting Illini.
- Illinois’ Frazier has the top spot on the team’s steals leaderboard with 1.4 per game and Cockburn is first in blocks with 1.3 per game.
Computer Picks
Pick ATS:
Fighting Illini (+8.5)
Pick OU:
Under (149.5)
Prediction: Michigan 77, Illinois 70
Predictions are calculated by a data-driven algorithm (raw power score) that ranks head-to-head matchup results within a closed network of games. Prediction confidence is determined by the delta between each team’s raw power score.
Head to Head
The Fighting Illini lead the last three head-to-head matchups 2-1 over the Wolverines. The Fighting Illini have a 1-0 record against the spread in those games against the Wolverines.
Against The Spread (ATS) records are only reflective of games that had odds on them.
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