Ohio State vs. Illinois odds: Win probability, final score prediction in Big Ten Tournament
Illinois will begin its Big Ten Tournament bid when it takes on Ohio State in the quarterfinals on Friday.
The Fighting Illini secured a double bye in the conference tournament after finishing second in the final Big Ten regular season standings. For the Buckeyes, they had to take on Iowa in the second-round on Thursday, defeating the Hawkeyes 90-78 to now earn the right to take on Illinois for a shot at the semifinals for whoever emerges victorious.
These two teams matched up one time during the regular season, seeing the Fighting Illini defeating Ohio State 87-75 in Columbus on Jan. 30. Now, the two will meet with much more on the line during Friday’s rematch.
Odds for Ohio State vs. Illinois
Coming into the game, Illinois is a 4.5-point favorite over Ohio State, per FanDuel Sportsbook. The Fighting Illini are currently listed at -196 for the money line as of Thursday evening, while the Buckeyes are sitting at +162.
The point total for the game is set at 154.5 points. The two squads scored a combined for 162 points during their previous matchup. Illinois ranks second in the conference in points per game (83.9), while Ohio State sits right in the middle at No. 7, averaging 74.5 points per game. Still, if these two meet their season averages, the expected over will hit.
Final score predictions for Ohio State vs. Illinois
KenPom Predicted final score: Illinois 80, Ohio State 75
KenPom Win probability (for Illinois): 69 percent
KenPom is another predictive system for college basketball. It’s designed to show how strong a team is at a given time, without taking factors like injuries into account. For Friday’s game between Illinois and Ohio State, KenPom agrees with Vegas’ decision to have the Fighting Illini take care of the Buckeyes in their quarterfinal matchup.
How to watch Ohio State vs. Illinois
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
Channel: Big Ten Network, FuboTV (streaming)
Location: Target Center — Minneapolis, MN
The opening tip between the Buckeyes and Fighting Illini is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET and will air live on the Big Ten Network live from the Target Center. It is also going to be available to fans on streaming through FuboTV, which has an option for a free trial.