Halftime Report
This game looks nothing like the tight 90-89 margin from Illinois’ win over Penn State in their previous head-to-head back in February of 2024. Illinois has a bit of a cushion as they currently lead Penn State 45-21.
Illinois already has six blowout wins this season, but why stop there? Barring a freak comeback, they will be celebrating another huge victory in the locker room very soon.
Who’s Playing
Penn State Nittany Lions @ Illinois Fighting Illini
Current Records: Penn State 12-3, Illinois 11-3
How To Watch
What to Know
We’ve got another exciting Big Ten matchup on schedule as the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Illinois Fighting Illini are set to tip at 9:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday at State Farm Center. Coming off a loss in a game the Nittany Lions were expected to win, they now face the more daunting task of proving themselves against unfavorable odds.
Penn State is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Indiana just ended the team’s four-game winning streak on Sunday. They opened the new year with a less-than-successful 77-71 defeat to the Hoosiers. The contest was a 29-29 toss-up at halftime, but the Nittany Lions couldn’t quite close it out.
Nick Kern Jr. put forth a good effort for the losing side as he went 8 for 13 en route to 21 points plus two steals. Less helpful for Penn State was Ace Baldwin Jr.’s abysmal 0-6 three-point shooting.
Meanwhile, Illinois entered their tilt with Washington on Sunday with three consecutive wins but they’ll enter their next game with four. They managed an 81-77 victory over the Huskies.
Among those leading the charge was Kasparas Jakucionis, who went 6 for 11 en route to 18 points plus six assists and five rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Tre White, who went 7 for 13 en route to 17 points plus seven rebounds.
Illinois smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they’ve now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in six consecutive games.
Penn State’s loss dropped their record down to 12-3. As for Illinois, they are on a roll lately: they’ve won five of their last six matches, which provided a nice bump to their 11-3 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Penn State has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 36.5 rebounds per game. However, it’s not like Illinois (currently ranked second) struggles in that department as they’ve been averaging 45.1. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we’ll see if one team can grab an edge.
Penn State barely slipped by Illinois when the teams last played back in February of 2024, winning 90-89. The rematch might be a little tougher for Penn State since the team won’t have the home-court advantage this time around. We’ll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
Odds
Illinois is a big 9.5-point favorite against Penn State, according to the latest college basketball odds.
The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Fighting Illini as a 8.5-point favorite.
The oddsmakers are expecting fireworks from the offense and set the over/under at a high 163.5 points.
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Series History
Penn State has won 6 out of their last 10 games against Illinois.
- Feb 21, 2024 – Penn State 90 vs. Illinois 89
- Mar 09, 2023 – Penn State 79 vs. Illinois 76
- Feb 14, 2023 – Penn State 93 vs. Illinois 81
- Dec 10, 2022 – Penn State 74 vs. Illinois 59
- Mar 03, 2022 – Illinois 60 vs. Penn State 55
- Jan 19, 2021 – Illinois 79 vs. Penn State 65
- Dec 23, 2020 – Illinois 98 vs. Penn State 81
- Feb 18, 2020 – Illinois 62 vs. Penn State 56
- Mar 10, 2019 – Penn State 72 vs. Illinois 56
- Feb 23, 2019 – Penn State 83 vs. Illinois 76