NCAA Basketball Prediction: Ohio State Buckeyes vs Illinois Fighting Illini
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
by Joe Rodriguez
Illinois faces its toughest test of the Big Ten calendar when Ohio State Buckeyes pays a visit. The Illinois Fighting Illini have opened their conference schedule with some bottom-tier teams but have a chance to make a statement not only in the Big Ten but also for the NCAA Tournament selection committee in March.
If the Illini are going to shock the Buckeyes they’ll need 7-footer Meyers Leonard to stay out of foul trouble against one of the nation’s premier big men. Jared Sullinger is finally starting to get healthy after dealing with a nagging back injury.
He scored 28 points to lift Ohio State past Iowa this weekend. Sullinger was right at home in Illinois last season, scoring 27 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in a 73-68 victory for the Buckeyes. Ohio State has won five straight and 10 of its last 12 meetings with Illinois.
- Ohio State Buckeyes @ Illinois Fighting Illini
When: 9:00 PM ET, Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Where: Assembly Hall, Champaign, Illinois
TV: ESPN, ESPN3.com
The Buckeyes have opened as 8.5-point favorites on SBG Global Sportsbook’s Live NCAA Basketball Odds.
Ohio State Buckeyes (15-2): The Buckeyes live and die through Sullinger. Their two losses came to Kansas, when Sullinger was out with back spasms, and to Indiana, when he played limited minutes because of foul trouble. With the bruising forward under the basket, Ohio State packs the opponent's defense in the key, freeing up perimeter shooters. In the two losses, the Buckeyes shot a combined 8-for-28 from beyond the arc and looked lost without Sullinger on the floor. Sullinger struggled to find space and got into early foul issues versus Indiana's 6-foot-11 center Cody Zeller. Leonard's length and athleticism provides a similar challenge.
Illinois Fighting Illini (14-3): While all the attention is focused on the Sullinger-Leonard battle, Illinois' biggest concern is a dinged up backcourt. The Fighting Illini expect to be without Bradley transfer Sam Maniscalco in the starting lineup for the third straight game. Maniscalco, who is averaging 9.9 points, has been plagued by ankle injuries throughout his career. Fellow starting guard D.J. Richardson played only 21 minutes in the win over Nebraska because of a sprained wrist. He leads the team in scoring with 13.5 points per game and is expected to see more action Tuesday.
1. Although Ohio State has dominated recent meetings, Illinois still leads the all-time series 102-69.
2. Ohio State is an extremely young team. Senior guard William Buford is the only player with more than one and a half years within the program.
3. Illinois is 9-1 in games decided by less than 10 points this season, and 5-1 in games decided by five or fewer.
NCAA BASKETBALL PREDICTION: Ohio State 66 and Illinois 54
Bet on NCAA College Basketball games with SBG Global Sportsbook, click here!
Related Articles
- NCAA Basketball Odds: Illinois Fighting Illini vs Ohio State Buckeyes
- Illinois Fighting Illini vs Penn State Nittany Lions NCAA Free Vegas Pick
- College Hoops Betting Odds: St. Bonaventure at No 22 Illinois
- Final Four Predictions & Odds: Ohio State vs Kansas
- NCAA Basketball Las Vegas Odds and Totals: Michigan vs Illinois
Category
Tags
assembly hall - cody zeller - d.j. richardson - illinois fighting illini - jared sullinger - meyers leonard - ohio state buckeyes - sam maniscalco - william buford