Illinois's quest for a Big Ten title continues this afternoon at Crisler Center.
The Fighting Illini (19-8, 12-5) are coming off a 86-83 home loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes and will look to bounce back on the road in a matchup with the Michigan Wolverines (15-11, 9-7).
See who has the ATS edge in our free college basketball picks and predictions for Illinois vs. Michigan.
Illinois vs Michigan odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
Illinois opened as a short 1-point favorite on the road in Michigan but the line can be found anywhere between -1.5, PK, and +1. The total opened at 141.5 and has settled there at the time of writing.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until tip-off and be sure to check out the full college basketball odds before placing your bets.
Illinois vs Michigan predictions
Predictions made on 2/27/2022 at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Illinois vs Michigan game info
• Location: Crisler Center, Ann Arbour, MI
• Date: Sunday, February 27, 2022
• Tip-off: 2:00 p.m. ET
• TV: CBS
Illinois at Michigan betting preview
Injuries
Illinois: No injuries to report.
Michigan: No injuries to report.
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting trend to know
Illinois is 4-0 ATS in its last four meetings with Michigan. Find more NCAA betting trends for Illinois vs. Michigan .
Illinois vs Michigan picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Spread analysis
These teams matched up on January 14, with the Wolverines falling 68-53 without their star big man Hunter Dickinson (18 ppg, 8.2 rpg).
With Dickinson back in the lineup and the Wolverines back at home, you can expect this game to be a much tighter affair, but I'm still leaning on Illinois — who has proven to be the better team all season long.
The biggest factor in this matchup will be the battle between each team's star big man, Michigan's Dickinson and Illinois' Kofi Cockburn (21.2 ppg, 10.8 rpg).
Cockburn is the heart and soul of this Illinois squad, leading the team to a 19th-best mark in adjusted offensive efficiency as well as 18th overall on KenPom's rankings.
Offensively, the Fighting Illini (76.3 ppg) is a double-edged sword. If Cockburn sees multiple bodies down low, Illinois will find its shooters (9.3 3-point makes per game, 23rd in the country) but if Michigan plays him one-on-one, he can take over the game himself. In 33 minutes first-matchup minutes, he had 21 points and 10 boards on 8-13 shooting.
Michigan has posted a couple of quality wins over the last couple of weeks (vs. No. 3 Purdue, at Iowa) but hasn't been consistent enough to be trusted in a spot like this against one of the Big Ten's best.
The Fighting Illini are coming off a 86-83 home loss to No. 22 Ohio State and will be motivated to get right back in the win column against an inferior opponent.
They're the better defensive team, have better scoring options, and will have the best player on the floor in Cockburn. They're also 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings with Michigan, covering by an average margin of 12.6 points.
Prediction: Illinois PK (-110)
Over/Under analysis
The Jan. 14 matchup held a total of 144 and the game stayed way Under at 121 points (68-53). Tonight, it's 141.5 and I like it to stay Under once again.
The Wolverines should play much better offensively at home and with Dickinson in the lineup, but this is a matchup that has stayed well Under over the past couple of years.
Not only is Illinois 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings, but the Under is also 4-0, none of which were particularly close, staying Under by an average margin of 16 points.
Neither of these teams plays a blistering pace (177th and 251st in adjusted tempo) and both teams can often eat up the shot clock as they run their offenses through their star big men down low.
Michigan has also stayed Under in four of its last six. It should likely be tighter than the first matchup, but back this to stay Under once again.
Prediction: Under 141.5 (-110)
Best bet
It's been a disappointing season for Michigan by almost any metric you use. The biggest being their inability to consistently compete with the Big Ten's best.
The Wolverines were in a similar spot two weeks ago against No. 16 Ohio State and lost by 11 at home as 2.5-point favorites.
Illinois has been the better team all year long and should come out on top this afternoon.
Pick: Illinois PK (-110)
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