College hoops action tips off today with a ranked-on-ranked Big Ten matchup in Iowa City as the No. 19 Iowa Hawkeyes host the No. 16 Illinois Fighting Illini.
Illinois may be the more talented team on paper, but Iowa holds the coaching advantage and has played well on its home court.
See why I’m backing Ben McCollum and the boys with my Illinois vs. Iowa predictions and college basketball picks below.
Illinois vs Iowa prediction
Illinois vs Iowa best bet: Iowa -1 (-110)
Few coaches in America inspire more confidence in a bettor’s mind than Ben McCollum. All he did in his first year at the Division I level was lead Drake to a 31-4 record, a regular-season MVC championship, and a conference tournament championship.
Taking the Big Ten by force won’t be quite so simple, and the Iowa Hawkeyes suffered a setback on Tuesday with a 67-70 loss at Minnesota. It’s not time to press the panic button yet, though, as that loss was at least somewhat explainable.
Do-it-all star player Bennett Stirtz was in foul trouble for that contest, sitting for 11 crucial minutes, and several players on the team were reportedly dealing with a bout of illness.
The Illinois Fighting Illini present a tough challenge as KenPom’s No. 8-ranked team. Still, there are questions. There’s no denying the talent level, but that was also the case last year when the Illini still found ways to be one of the most inconsistent and untrustworthy teams in the betting market.
Illinois ranks 293rd in Haslametrics’ Away From Home metric, and this is a tough ask on the road against an Iowa team that is 7-2 ATS at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. McCollum gives his team a substantial coaching edge, and they should be motivated to right their wrongs to begin a difficult three-game stretch with road games at Purdue and Indiana on deck.
Illinois vs Iowa same-game parlay
An Iowa win correlates best with the Under. The Hawkeyes prefer to slow games down to a halt, ranking 343rd in adjusted tempo, per KenPom. They allow just 60.8 ppg and will need to rely on that salty defense against a potent Illinois squad. Turn things into a track meet, and Iowa is likely toast, but play the game at your speed, and anything goes.
Cal and Stanford transfer Andrej Stojakovic averages 14.4 ppg for the Illini, but this is a difficult matchup in a game with a severe pace drain.
Illinois vs Iowa SGP
- Iowa -1
- Under 143.5
- Andrej Stojakovic Under 13.5 points
Our beyond the arc SGP: Cooper makes it rain!
Iowa should be highly motivated at home because Illinois has dominated this series, winning four straight and nine of the last 10. Sophomore Cooper Koch’s accuracy from behind the arc (44%) will come in handy against an Illinois defense that lets opponents chuck 25.3 attempted threes per game.
Illinois vs Iowa SGP
- Iowa -1
- Under 143.5
- Andrej Stojakovic Under 13.5 points
- Cooper Koch Over 1.5 threes
Illinois vs Iowa odds
- Spread: Illinois +1 | Iowa -1
- Moneyline: Illinois -105 | Iowa -115
- Over/Under: Over 143.5 | Under 143.5
Illinois vs Iowa betting trend to know
Iowa is 7-2 ATS at home this season. Find more college basketball betting trends for Illinois vs. Iowa.
How to watch Illinois vs Iowa
| Location | Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Iowa City, IA |
| Date | Sunday, January 11, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 12:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | FOX |
Illinois vs Iowa key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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