by Ultimatecapper.com Staff
Illinois still harbors hopes of another Big 10 regular seasontitle while Minnesota hopes to add the Illini to the list of victimswho have come to the Twin Cities and lost when the two teams meetTuesday night.
Illinois has won 14 consecutive games vs. Minnesota, includinga 77-53 decision in Champaign a month ago that was closer thanthe final score indicated. The Illini led by just six points with12 minutes to go in the game before the Gophers ran out of gas.
But Minnesota has had success at home this season, beating thelikes of Indiana, Michigan State and Iowa at Williams Arena.
And Illinois has lost four of its last six Big 10 road games.
The Illini are 14-10 against the spread this season; 4-4 straightup and ats on the road, 17-3 straight up and 12-8 ats as a favoriteand 7-7 ats in Big 10 play.
Minnesota is 9-9 against the spread this season; 12-4 straightup and 5-4 ats at home, 5-8 straight up and 8-5 ats as an underdogand 7-6 ats in the Big 10.
Illinois started the season 20-2, but has gone just 3-3 in itslast six games. The Illini beat Iowa 71-59 Saturday as an eight-pointhome favorite.
The Gophers started their Big 10 slate by losing their firstsix games, so their five wins over their last eight games is probablycoming too late to salvage any hopes of an invitation to the BigDance. Minnesota fell at Wisconsin Saturday 80-74 as an eight-pointunderdog.
At 9-5, Illinois is tied for second place with Iowa and Wisconsinin the Big 10, a game back of league-leading Ohio State. To graba share of a third-straight conference title, the Illini haveto sweep their final two games (they play at Michigan State inthe season finale Saturday) and get help elsewhere around theconference.
The Gophers are tied for ninth in the Big 10 with Northwesternat 5-9.
Since the beginning of last season, Illinois is 60-7 overall.
Illinois shoots 46 percent from the field, out-rebounds itsopponents by eight per game and holds the opposition to 39 percentshooting from the floor. But they're also only hitting 63 percentof their free throws.
The under is a collective 25-17 in Illinois and Minnesota gamesthis season.
