Iowa at Illinois: How to watch, odds, score predictions from ESPN, KenPom

No. 20 Illinois (21-8, 14-5 B1G) hosts the No. 24 Iowa Hawkeyes (22-8, 12-7, B1G) on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. Here’s how to watch, Vegas odds, ESPN BPI predictions and KenPom game predictions as well for both teams ahead of Sunday’s conference clash. With a victory, Illinois will clench a share of the Big 10 regular season championship.

How to watch Iowa at Illinois

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT

Channel: FS1

Location: Champaign, IL

Odds

Money line: Illinois -172, Iowa +140.

Spread: Illinois -3.5, -112. Iowa +3.5, -110.

Total: Over/Under 153.5, -109.

Check out the rest of Vegas’ odds ahead of Saturday’s college game day slate.

ESPN BPI predictions 

Matchup quality: 93.3%

Win probability: Illinois, 61.8%

Predicted point differential: 3.2

The College Basketball Power Index (BPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of performance going forward. BPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Strength of Record (SOR) is a measure of team accomplishment based on how difficult a team’s W-L record is to achieve. 

Game predictions account for opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, day’s rest and altitude, and are used to simulate the season 10,000 times to produce season projections. Numbers update daily,’ per ESPN.

For the rest of ESPN’s BPI predictions, click here.

KenPom predictions

Score prediction: Illinois 78, Iowa 77. 

Win probability: Illinois, 56%. 

Check out the rest of KenPom’s predictions for Iowa at Illinois, and the rest of college basketball here.

Injury report

Iowa’s Patrick McCaffery suited up Thursday evening against Michigan after sitting out Monday night’s contest against Northwestern as he recovered from a hip injury. He went on to be a key contributor in Iowa’s 82-71 victory over the Wolverines, playing 27 minutes while scoring 19 points on 9-11 shooting to go with 6 rebounds off the bench and is expected to play Sunday against the Fighting Illini.

McCaffery is one of Iowa’s key players this season and currently ranks third on the team with 10.7 points per game. The 6-foot-9, 200-pound sophomore has started in 25 of the 26 games he has appeared in and is averaging 25.1 minutes per contest.

For Illinois, Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk is questionable under concussion protocols suffered in their 60-55 win over Penn State Thursday night. Jacob Grandison, a starter for the Illini who averages 10.3 points per game, is also questionable with a shoulder sprain suffered during Thursday’s game as well. He is likely to be a game-time decision.