The Big Ten’s Illinois Fighting Illini will take on the Big East’s Marquette Golden Eagles in a 2021 Gavitt Tipoff Games showdown on Monday in Milwaukee. The Fighting Illini (2-0), who finished second in the Big Ten a year ago, were 24-7 overall in 2020-21. The Golden Eagles (2-0), who placed ninth in the Big East, were 13-14 overall — their first losing season since 2014-15. They hired former Texas coach Shaka Smart in the offseason. Illinois leads the all-time series 9-5, but this will be the first meeting between the teams since 1993. Illinois will be without star center Kofi Cockburn, who was suspended by the NCAA for three games before the season.
The game from Fiserv Forum is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET. Illinois averaged 81.4 points per game last season, while Marquette averaged 69.7. The Fighting Illini are eight-point favorites in the latest Illinois vs. Marquette odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 147.5. Before making any Marquette vs. Illinois picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Div. I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of $2,200 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Marquette vs. Illinois and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball lines and trends for Illinois vs. Marquette:
- Illinois vs. Marquette spread: Illinois -8
- Illinois vs. Marquette over-under: 147.5 points
- Illinois vs. Marquette money line: Illinois -360, Marquette +285
- ILL: The Fighting Illini’s 56 rebounds against Arkansas State were the second-most in a game since at least the 2010-11 season
- MU: The Golden Eagles have won four of the past five meetings vs. Illinois
Featured Game | Marquette Golden Eagles vs. Illinois Fighting Illini
Why Illinois can cover
Senior guard Trent Frazier, who missed the season opener due to a shoulder injury, returned on Friday to score 12 points and grab four rebounds in a 92-53 win over Arkansas State. Frazier was one of the Illini’s most consistent performers last season, averaging 10.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 31 games. He connected on 40 percent of his field goals, including 36.2 percent of his 3-pointers. He was also an 83.1 percent free throw shooter.
Also returning is sophomore Andre Curbelo. He scored eight points, grabbed four rebounds and dished out seven assists against Arkansas State. Last season in 31 games, he averaged 9.1 points, four rebounds and 4.2 assists, hitting on 49.8 percent of his field goals and 72.8 percent of his free throws. He registered one double-double in 2020-21, a 10-point, 12-rebound effort on Feb. 25 against Nebraska.
Why Marquette can cover
The Golden Eagles have found a spark in Maryland transfer Darryl Morsell. In 126 games with the Terrapins, Morsell had never scored more than 20 points in any single game. In his first two career games at Marquette, he has reached that in back-to-back matchups. He scored 21 points in the season-opening win over SIUE and followed that up with a 26-point performance against New Hampshire. He is averaging 23.5 points per game on 60 percent shooting from the field, including 50 percent from 3-point range.
Also powering the Golden Eagles is redshirt freshman forward Justin Lewis, who is averaging 17 points and 11 rebounds. Lewis appeared in 22 games for Marquette in 2020-21, averaging 7.8 points and 5.4 rebounds. He has recorded his first two double-doubles of his career in the first two games, after coming close a couple of times last season. He finished with 18 points against No. 4 Wisconsin on Dec. 4, 2020, including the game-winning tip-in at the buzzer off a missed free throw.
How to make Marquette vs. Illinois picks
The model is leaning under on the total, projecting 145 points. It also has generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in 60 percent of simulations. You can get the model’s pick only at SportsLine.
So who wins Illinois vs. Marquette? And which side of the spread can you bank on in 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $2,200 on its college basketball picks the last four years, and find out.
