The No. 16 Illinois Fighting Illini (11-3, 2-1 Big Ten) will attempt to extend a three-game winning streak when they host the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8-7, 1-3 Big Ten) on Thursday, January 8, 2026 at State Farm Center as heavy, 23.5-point favorites. The game airs at 8:30 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network. The matchup has an over/under of 149.5 points.
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Illinois Cover -23.5 vs Rutgers -110
Illinois vs. Rutgers betting lines
- Illinois moneyline odds to win: -7692
- Rutgers moneyline odds to win: +2017
- Spread: Illinois (-23.5)
- Total: 149.5
Illinois statistics, trends and more
As the home team
- Illinois did a better job covering the spread in home games (10-7-0) last season than it did in road affairs (5-5-0).
- In terms of over/unders, the Fighting Illini hit the over less often when playing at home last season, as they exceeded the total eight times in 17 opportunities (47.1%). On the road, they hit the over six times in 10 opportunities (60%).
- Illinois fared better as a moneyline favorite when playing at home last season, putting up a home record of 12-3 home record, compared to going 3-3 in road games.
Last season stats
- Offensively, the Fighting Illini were the ninth-best squad in the nation (83.6 points per game) last season. On defense, they were 263rd (74.8 points conceded per game).
- Illinois was the best squad in college basketball in rebounds per game (39.7) and ranked 104th in rebounds conceded (30.1) last year.
- Last season the Fighting Illini were ranked 83rd in college basketball in assists with 14.9 per game.
Illinois betting records this season
- ATS Record: 8-6-0 (Home: 5-3-0; Away: 1-1-0)
- ATS Record When Favored by 23.5+: 4-2-0 (As Favorite: 7-5-0; As Underdog: 1-1-0)
- O-U-P: 4-10-0 (Home: 3-5-0; Away: 1-1-0)
- Record When Moneyline Favorite: 10-2 (Home: 7-1; Away: 2-0)
- Record When Moneyline Underdog: 1-1 (Home: 0-0; Away: 0-0)
| Field Goal % | Opp. Field Goal % | Rebounds | Opp. Rebounds | Assists | Turnovers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47.8 (73rd in nation) | 39.6 (33rd) | 39.4 (11th) | 27.6 (30th) | 14.9 (141st) | 9.8 (42nd) |
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Rutgers statistics, trends and more
As the away team
- Rutgers’ winning percentage against the spread at home last season was .533 (8-7-0). Away, it was .364 (4-7-0).
- Looking at the over/under, Scarlet Knights games finished over five of 15 times at home (33.3%) and seven of 11 on the road (63.6%) last year.
- When moneyline underdogs last season, the Scarlet Knights won a higher percentage of games at home (2-3) than away (3-7).
Recent trends
- The Scarlet Knights are putting up 68.3 points per contest over their previous 10 games, which is 2.0 fewer points than their average for the season (70.3).
- Rutgers has fared worse defensively over its past 10 games, giving up 76.5 points per contest, 4.0 more points than its season average of 72.5.
- The Scarlet Knights are making the same number of three-pointers per contest in their last 10 games as their season average (6.3), and they are delivering a worse three-point percentage over their last 10 games (30.9%) compared to their season mark (32.0%).
Rutgers betting records this season
- ATS Record: 5-10-0 (Home: 3-7-0; Away: 0-2-0)
- ATS Record When Underdog by 23.5+: 0-1-0 (As Favorite: 1-6-0; As Underdog: 4-4-0)
- O-U-P: 9-6-0 (Home: 6-4-0; Away: 2-0-0)
- Record When Moneyline Favorite: 6-1 (Home: 6-1; Away: 0-0)
- Record When Moneyline Underdog: 2-6 (Home: 1-2; Away: 0-2)
| Field Goal % | Opp. Field Goal % | Rebounds | Opp. Rebounds | Assists | Turnovers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40.6 (341st in nation) | 44.4 (232nd) | 32.2 (224th) | 31.5 (203rd) | 10.7 (354th) | 11.2 (150th) |
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