College basketball bettors will be treated to a Top 10 matchup in the second game of the Jimmy V Classic Wednesday night when Illinois faces off against Baylor.
The Bears have been dominant to this point and oddsmakers installed them as 5.5-point betting favorites. That line has already shifted to -4.5, as Baylor will need to contain one of the best guards in the country in Ayo Dosunmu?
We break down the NCAA basketball odds with our best free No. 10 Illinois vs. No. 1 Baylor picks and predictions for Wednesday, December 2, with tipoff at 10:00 p.m. ET at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Illinois Fighting Illini vs Baylor Bears Betting Preview
Key Injuries
Illinois: Andre Curbelo G (Probable), Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk F (Questionable).
Baylor: No injuries to report.
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting Trend to Know
Illinois is 0-4 ATS in its last four games versus a team with a winning percentage above .600, while Baylor is 5-0 ATS in its last five neutral site games as a favorite. Find more NCAA betting trends for Illinois vs. Baylor.
Against the Spread (ATS) Pick
Baylor has looked like one of the most impressive and complete teams in the country early on in this college basketball season, recording blowout wins over Louisiana and Washington, easily covering the spread in each game.
Why have the Bears looked so impressive? Well, they are stacked, returning all but one starter from last season, including their three-headed backcourt monster of Davion Mitchell, Jared Butler and MaCio Teague. They are picking up where they left off last season and so far are combining for 48.5 points, 13.5 rebounds and 13.5 assists per game.
But what is most important to Baylor is the fact that this small-ball lineup held opponents to under 40 percent shooting from the field last season.
Meanwhile, Illinois is off to a hot 3-0 start (2-1 ATS), led by Dosunmu and backcourt mate Adam Miller. They have combined for 43.7 points per game this season, but the Illini are coming off their first scare of the season: a 77-75 win over Ohio in which they were 15.5-point favorites.
Baylor’s depth and defense will be the deciding factor in this matchup. Illinois relies heavily on Dosunmu and Miller and the Bears will throw a seemingly endless supply of guards at them. That should slow them down enough for the favorites to cover here.
PREDICTION: Baylor -4.5 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
This is a matchup of two of the higher scoring teams in the country at this point. Illinois ranks 13th, putting up 98.7 points per game, but sits a notch behind Baylor, who ranks 12th at 99 ppg. But oddsmakers think this game will be a little more defensive, setting the total at 144.
Last season Illinois averaged 70.7 points per game while Baylor scored 71.1, but both teams have taken steps forward on offense this season. Plus, the Illini showed that better teams can put some points on them, as evidenced by their last game against Ohio.
On top of that, the Over is 5-1 dating back to last season for both Baylor and Illinois. The Bears defense should slow down the Illinois guards, but Dosunmu will do enough for the Illini to continue that trend.
PREDICTION: Over 144 (-110)
Illinois vs Baylor Betting Card
- Baylor -4.5 (-110)
- Over 144 (-110)
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