Nebraska vs. Illinois odds
The Illinois Fighting Illini have won six of their last seven games and will host the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Tuesday night.
The Illini have thrived on the defensive side, ranking 18th in modified defensive efficiency, according to KenPom, and forced opponents into bad shots. However, it runs at the 77th fastest speed rate, per KenPom.
Nebraska ranks 257th in adjusted pace, and although the Cornhuskers have only three wins, they are ranked 56th in adjusted defensive efficiency.
Illinois is 12-8 under while Nebraska is 16-6. Even though Nebraska is now without Emmanuel Bandomil, Joan Jarry, and Blaise Keita, they may be able to rein in the Illini a bit. The Illini should do the same for Nebraska.
The Cornhuskers are clearly dealing with a series of critical injuries at the moment. Should we continue to play the downtrend for both teams on Tuesday night?
The Cornhuskers rank fifth in the country in defensive selection and shot selection, as measured by shot quality. She also ranks 45th in the Open Three Rate and 43rd in the Rim and Three Rate. The Illini may shoot 32.5% from depths, but they rank 53rd in the country in 3-point attempt percentage.
The Rim and Three Rate is important in these circumstances because the Illini is shooting 55.3% for two pitches this season. They also rank 49th in the nation, by shot quality, in attacking the edge and coming out with transition. Since Nebraska tends to slow the game down to its pace, it should be able to limit the number of times the Fighting Illini reach clear passes to the hoop.
Derrick Walker will be the core of Nebraska’s defense going forward because Wilhelm Breidenbach is a bit slow on dribble defense. Walker is basically the last line of defense left down for Fred Hojbjerg and the Cornhuskers. He will be tasked with defending Dain Dainja and Coleman Hawkins (on occasion), and these two play key roles in the offensive attack of the Illini.
Illinois ranks 31st in PPP transition and loves to push the pace, especially with Terrance Shannon Jr. Shannon has 139 free throw attempts this season and will make contact on the drive. How often he’s able to get the ball down and hook up with the Nebraska seniors will tell how you play this game.
Nebraska ranks eighth in the nation in free throw attempted percentage defensively, while Illinois scores at just 66.2% as a team. Shannon shoots 78.4% from the bar, but the Illini is relatively weak off the line. Nebraska should be in good shape, unless Walker is fouling.
Nebraska ranks 329th in seconds per possession on defense. Often, even after employee turnover, Nebraska can slow down Illinois.
How often both teams turn the ball over will go a long way toward determining the total. Illinois ranks 221st in turnover percentage (19.1%), and Nebraska ranks 237th (19.2%). Illinois turns opponents defensively 20% of the time, but Nebraska only does so 18% of the time.
If there are turnovers, Illinois will force them and Nebraska should be able to catch up to the Illini and force a longer half court possession.
Nebraska vs Illinois Bet Beck
None of these programs have caught up to the market, and their ATS records show in the totals.
Last time around, these teams scored a combined 126 points. Granted, Bandeaumel and Gary were (partly) playing, but they played at Nebraska-standard pace.
Take Less in this game to 134.5.
What is QuickSlip?
QuickSlip is a Business Network feature that allows users to automatically preload their bet slip into the FanDuel Sportsbook.
How do you rate this article?
this site Contains commercial content. We may be compensated for links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. Action Network makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information provided or the outcome of any game or event.