Penn State Nittany Lions vs Illinois Fighting Illini Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 03/03/2022

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Thursday, March 3, 2022

Venue:  State Farm Center, Champaign, IL 

Where to Watch:  Fox Sports 1

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  PSU +12.5, Illinois -12.5; Over/Under:  134 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  PSU +12.5, Illinois -12.5; Over/Under:  134.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  PSU +12.5, Illinois -12.5; Over/Under:  134.5 points

 

Penn State Nittany Lions:  12-14 (10th place, Big Ten)

Illinois Fighting Illini:  20-8 (2nd place, Big Ten)

 

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Penn State Nittany Lions:  2-3 last 5

Illinois Fighting Illini:  3-2 last 5

 

 

 

PSU is coming into this game with a 12-14 record overall and they are 1-8 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. This will be their 19th conference matchup of the year and they are currently 7-11 in their conference games this season. They have lost 2 of their last 3 games and are coming into this one off of a loss in their last game. Their last win was against the Northwestern Wildcats while their 2 losses in that span came against the Maryland Terrapins and the Nebraska Cornhuskers in their last game. Seth Lundy, Jalen Pickett, and Sam Sessoms off the bench all led the team in points in that game with 2 each while Dallion Johnson was next on the team with 11 points. Pickett led the team in assists in that game with 5 while John Harrar led the team in rebounds with 8. They were 46.6% from the field, 34.6% from 3-point range, and 70% from the free throw line with their shooting in that game. Their offense is averaging 65.3 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 65.7 PPG against them. PSU has an ATS record of 14-12 this season and their O/U record is 10-16.

 

 

Illinois is coming into this game with a 20-8 record overall and they are 11-3 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. This will be the 19th conference matchup on their schedule this year and they are currently 10-8 in their conference games this season. They have won 2 of their last 3 games and are coming into this one off of a win in their last game. Their last loss was against the Ohio State Buckeyes while their 2 wins in that span came against the Michigan State Spartans and the Michigan Wolverines in their last game. Kofi Cockburn led the team in points in that game with 27 while Alfonso Plummer was next on the team with 26 points. Jacob Grandison led the team in assists in that game with 4 while Cockburn led the team in rebounds with 7. They were 56.7% from the field, 58.8% from 3-point range, and 60% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 76.9 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 68 PPG against them. Illinois has an ATS record of 13-15 this season and their O/U record is 17-11.

 

PSU has not been playing well in their recent games as they have lost 2 of their last 3 games and they are coming off of a very bad loss at home in their last game against Nebraska, the worst team in the Big Ten this season. They have already struggled against conference opponents this season with a 7-11 record in those games but now they are going on the road for this game where they are only 1-8 this season and have been very bad. They are going up against an Illinois team that has been very good against conference opponents this season and they have been solid at home as they are 11-3 there this season. They are coming off of a good win on the road in their last game and they have won 2 of their last 3 games. Illinois should be starting to ramp up in these final games as they get into tournament form while Penn State has been very bad. Illinois should win this game at home by double digits.

 

Penn State Illinois Prediction:  Our NCAAB Pick for Thursday, March 3, 2022 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Illinois 84 PSU 64.

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Penn State Nittany Lions: 19-11 ATS when the total is 130 to 139.5. 23-16 ATS as an underdog. 16-10 UNDER in all games. 

Illinois Fighting Illini: 5-10 ATS after 2 consecutive conference games. 20-7 UNDER after a combined score of 155 points or more 2 straight games. 118-77 UNDER after 4 straight games committing 14 or less turnovers.

 

 

Penn State Nittany Lions:  None.

Illinois Fighting Illini:  B. Bosmans-Verdonk (F) Ques Thurs - Concussion. R. Melendez (G) Out indefinitely - Appendix. A. Hutcherson (G) out for season - Hernia.

 

 

“I don’t really love accepting anything, right? When you put everything you have out there and you do your best and you get beat, you can be OK with the results. I don’t feel like we gave our best. That’s why that game hurt me. We didn’t put our best foot out there. We didn’t show ourselves in the right way. For it to be our last home game, and some of these may never get an opportunity to play out here again, you want to be at your best. We didn’t bring it. We didn’t have it. But that happens at times throughout the year. It happens to everybody. The one thing that happens when you’re a coach, this is a lonely seat. You win a game and there’s 80 text messages on my phone at the end when I get up to my office. You lose a game? It’s like two.” - Micah Shrewsberry on his team’s loss against Nebraska.

 

 

"Plummer had as good a first half as I've seen any player not named Mike Beasley that I've coached. That was electric." - Brad Underwood on Alfonso Plummer after their win against Michigan.

 

 

 

M. Dread 

J. Harrar 

D. Johnson 

Seth Lundy 

J. Pickett 

 

K. Cockburn

T. Frazier 

J. Grandison 

A. Plummer

D. Williams

 

 

PPG: J. Pickett (12.8)

APG: J. Pickett (4.2)

Reb/G: J. Harrar (10.2)

 

PPG: K. Cockburn (21.5)

APG: T. Frazier (4)

Reb/G: K. Cockburn (10.7)

 

Coaches:

Penn State Nittany Lions: Micah Shrewsberry (1st season)

Illinois Fighting Illini: Brad Underwood (5th season)