The Illinois Fighting Illini take on the Northwestern Wildcats in Evanston, Illinois. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m. EST on BTN.
Illinois is favored by 9.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -575. The total is set at 150.5 points.
Here’s my Illinois vs. Northwestern prediction and college basketball picks for January 14, 2026.
Illinois vs Northwestern Prediction
My Pick: Under 150.5
My Illinois vs Northwestern best bet is on the under. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Illinois vs. Northwestern Odds
| Illinois Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-9.5 -110 | 150.5 -110 / -110 | -575 |
| Northwestern Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+9.5 -110 | 150.5 -110 / -110 | +425 |
- Illinois vs Northwestern spread: Illinois -9.5
- Illinois vs Northwestern over/under: 150.5 points
- Illinois vs Northwestern moneyline: Illinois -575, Northwestern +425
Illinois vs Northwestern College Basketball Betting Preview
Illinois Basketball
In its past five games, Illinois has played better than any team in college basketball. Seriously.
Bart Torvik rates the Illini first nationally since December 22, the night that Illinois destroyed rival Missouri in a 91-48 thrashing.
Since then, the Illini haven't looked back.
Illinois' turn for the better is a result of a handful of changes.
For starters, the Illini lead the nation in defensive efficiency over the past five games. After allowing 80-plus points in their first two Big Ten games, they've held opponents to fewer than 70 points in five straight.
Kylan Boswell and Andrej Stojakovic have been two keys to the defensive progression. Boswell is an elite perimeter defender at the point of attack, but Stojakovic plays a complementary role that was lacking from last season's Illini. Stojakovic is big and athletic enough on the wing to impact go-to scorers in the Big Ten.
Along with the defensive improvement, Illinois has made a drastic change to its pace of play.
After three straight seasons of a top-70 pace nationally, Illinois has pumped the brakes, currently ranking 233rd. A slower half-court offense favors its primary initiators, Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic, both freshmen who have been magnificent through two months.
Together, these changes make Brad Underwood's squad less vulnerable to an off-night than previous iterations have been.
Northwestern Basketball
It's truly been a nightmare start to the season for Chris Collins and his Northwestern Wildcats.
Despite owning the Big Ten's leading scorer — Nick Martinelli — Northwestern is tied for last in the league with an 0-5 Big Ten record.
You could argue that Northwestern is better than its record suggests.
KenPom rates Northwestern 13th out of 18 Big Ten teams, which isn't great, but it's still better than the loss column suggests. The Wildcats have struggled in close games, with six of their eight losses coming by six points or less.
Northwestern's roster isn't lacking in talent, but a few of the most important complementary pieces just haven't lived up to expectations yet.
Sophomore guard K.J. Windham was a breakout candidate who's found himself largely out of the Northwestern rotation. With him, Arrinten Page — the most talented frontcourt player on the roster — has been moved to the bench in recent games.
Northwestern typically goes as Martinelli goes, but even on his best of nights, it may not be enough — Martinelli dropped 34 points in Northwestern's loss to Rutgers.
If there's any hope for the Wildcats against Illinois, it's that they'll be comfortable with a slow pace. That, and Underwood's Illini have lost three straight games in Evanston against Northwestern.
Illinois vs. Northwestern Betting Analysis
Given that both teams prefer to play slowly, there's some value on the under.
Since Illinois has slowed down, 11 of its last 14 games have stayed under the closing number.
Northwestern's offense will struggle against Illinois' size, and Stojakovic is a better answer for Martinelli than the Illini have had in years past.
Add in Illinois' struggles in recent years in this building, and a rock fight feels like the likely outcome.
My Pick: Under 150.5
