The Illinois Fighting Illini take on the Missouri Tigers in St. Louis, MO. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
Illinois is favored by -9.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -490. The total is set at 156.5 points.
Here’s my Illinois vs. Missouri prediction and college basketball picks for December 22, 2025.
Illinois vs Missouri Prediction
My Pick: Illinois -9.5
My Illinois vs Missouri best bet is on the Fighting Illini to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Illinois vs. Missouri Odds
| Illinois Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-9.5 -102 | 156.5 -110 / -110 | -490 |
| Missouri Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+9.5 -120 | 156.5 -110 / -110 | +365 |
- Illinois vs Missouri spread: Illinois -9.5
- Illinois vs Missouri over/under: 156.5 points
- Illinois vs Missouri moneyline: Illinois -490, Missouri +365
Illinois vs Missouri College Basketball Betting Preview
Mizzou and Illinois meet in St. Louis for the annual Braggin’ Rights game.
Illinois leads the all-time series 35-20 and has won the last two and three of the last four. It appears the Illini may pick up another victory, as they look to be the far better team at this point in the season.
Mizzou’s non-conference schedule has done it no favors. The Tigers’ schedule currently ranks 361st nationally, and they’ve played just three teams that rank inside the KenPom top 250.
In those contests, Mizzou is 1-2 straight-up and against the spread. That lack of competition has diminished Mizzou's opportunities for quality wins, making Monday's game super crucial to its NCAA Tournament hopes.
Mizzou’s offense can be efficient when it’s allowed to use the open floor. Transition is the key for the Tigers getting good looks and high percentage scoring opportunities – when they need to run half-court offense, they struggle.
Live-ball turnovers fuel the break, as Mizzou’s ability to secure defensive rebounds has always been poor under Dennis Gates. Unfortunately, Illinois doesn’t turn the ball over.
In the halfcourt, Mizzou’s offense consists primarily of Mark Mitchell bullying his way to the rim and the foul line, force-feeding an OK post player in Shawn Phillips Jr., and whatever Anthony Robinson II chooses to be on a given night.
Jacob Crews has been a bright spot shooting the rock, but he hasn’t had much help. Injuries to Trent Pierce and Jayden Stone have hurt.
The Fighting Illini’s size could be an issue for the Tigers. The Ivisic twins and David Mirkovic can challenge the athletic Missouri forwards, though Illinois cannot turn teams over and has only been so-so at stopping transition this season.
Despite being the ninth–biggest team in the country and very athletic, Mizzou ranks outside the KenPom top 100 in defense. Opponents have teed off on the Tigers from deep, though that at least isn’t Illinois’ primary strength.
The No. 3 offensive team in the country has multiple options and ways to score. The Illini have been great in the paint and near the rim, the lone area where Mizzou is actually competent at defending this season.
Brad Underwood will run a ton of pick-and-roll with Kylan Boswell, Andrej Stojakovic and Keaton Wagler as the initiators and Mirkovic and the Ivisic twins as the rollers/poppers.
The Illini bigs’ ability to shoot from deep makes them a nightmare to defend. How Gates chooses to construct his lineup to combat Illinois’ dangerous ball screen game could be the key.
Mitchell as a 5-man would be an excellent choice for sticking with the bigs on the perimeter, but he gives up size inside, and the 4 would be a massive defensive liability. The Tigers have defended ball screens well this season, but competition has been weak, and Illinois excels at the action.
Mizzou might keep this one close for a half, but Illinois’ execution and depth should eventually overwhelm the Tigers.
Mizzou is too inconsistent to trust, and the Illini are the far more well-oiled machine.
My Pick: Illinois -9.5
