Colgate Raiders vs Illinois Fighting Illini Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 12/17/2023

Game Time: 1:00 pm ET, Sunday, December 17, 2023

Venue:  State Farm Center, Champaign, IL

Where to Watch:  Big Ten Network

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Colgate +15.5, Illinois -15.5; Over/Under:  144.5 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Colgate +15.5, Illinois -15.5; Over/Under:  144.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Colgate +15.5, Illinois -15.5; Over/Under:  144.5 points

Colgate Raiders:  6-4 (0-0) (1st place, Patriot League)

Illinois Fighting Illini:  7-2 (1-0) (1st place, Big Ten)

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Colgate Raiders:  3-2  last 5

Illinois Fighting Illini:  4-1  last 5

Colgate is entering this game with a 6-4 record overall and they are 1-2 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a win against the Vermont Catamounts in their last game. Keegan Records led the team in points per game in that game with 22 while Ryan Moffatt was next on the team with 16. Braeden Smith led the team in assists with 3 in that game while Braeden Smith led the team in rebounds with 9. They were 53.6% from the field, 53.3% from 3-point range, and 75% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 71.4 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 63.9 PPG against them. Colgate has an ATS record of 5-4 this season and their O/U record is 2-7.

Illinois is entering this game with a 7-2 record overall and they are 5-1 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are coming off a loss against the Tennessee Volunteers in their last game. Quincy Guerrier and Terrence Shannon Jr. each led the team in points in that game with 22 while Coleman Hawkins was next on the team with 12. Coleman Hawkins led the team in assists with 4 in that game while Luke Goode led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 35.4% from the field, 25% from 3-point range, and 85.7% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 80 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 65 PPG against them. Illinois has an ATS record of 4-4-1 this season and their O/U record is 4-5.

The current betting odds have Illinois listed as a 15.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Illinois has looked really good in their games this season with their 7-2 record overall, their only 2 losses coming against ranked teams. They have also looked really good in their home games this year with their 5-1 home record, their only loss coming against Marquette who is a top 10 team in the nation. Meanwhile, Colgate has looked alright in their games this season with their 6-4 record overall but they haven't looked as good in their road games with their 1-2 road record and they don't have the kind of talent that Illinois has either. Colgate also won a game against Vermont in their last one while Illinois has been sitting on a loss that they suffered on the road against Tennessee. Illinois will be looking to bounce back in this home game after losing to a ranked team in their last one and Colgate is coming into town at the wrong time off that win to Vermont. The best way to place a bet here is on Illinois to cover the spread in this game.

Colgate Illinois Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Sunday, December 17, 2023 (1:00 pm ET start time) is Illinois 84 Colgate 58.

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Colgate Raiders: 3-7 ATS after playing a game as a road underdog. 2-4 ATS off an upset win as an underdog. 14-7 UNDER as an underdog of 10 or more points. 7-2 UNDER in all games. 7-2 UNDER in non-conference games.

Illinois Fighting Illini: 8-2 ATS after 2 straight games where both teams score 75 points or more. 27-15 ATS after allowing 85 points or more. 8-4 ATS in a home game where the total is 140 to 144.5. 21-7 UNDER after a combined score of 155 points or more 2 straight games. 15-8 UNDER after scoring 75 points or more in 5 straight games.

Colgate Raiders:  None.

Illinois Fighting Illini:  N. Moretti (G) Ques Sun - Leg. S. Harris (G) out for season - Redshirt.

"There's probably not another program that we have a series with that is as accomplished as Vermont. They have a really good team, but they also have a culture, belief, and fanbase that makes it hard to win against – especially here. I'm immeasurably proud of our group. We had a great week of practice during a difficult time of year, coming down to the end of the semester. Hopefully this is a game we will hang our hat on and springboard us forward a little bit more as we continue to get better." - Matt Langel after his team’s win against Vermont in their last game on Saturday.

“Dalton's really good. Let's be real. He does a good job getting fouled.” - Brad Underwood after his team’s loss against Tennessee in their last game on Saturday.

N. Louis-Jacques 

R. Moffatt 

K. Records 

B. Smith 

J. Woodward

M. Domask 

Q. Guerrier 

C. Hawkins 

T. Rodgers 

T. Shannon

PPG: B. Smith (14)

APG: B. Smith (5.5)

Reb/G: K. Records (7.3)

PPG: T. Shannon Jr. (21.7)

APG: C. Hawkins (2.8)

Reb/G: Q. Guerrier (6.7)

Coaches:

Colgate Raiders: Matt Langel (13th season)

Illinois Fighting Illini: Brad Underwood (7th season)