Illinois vs Northwestern Prediction, Picks & Odds | 14 Jan 2026

College Basketball Betting Preview: Illinois vs Northwestern

The Illinois Fighting Illini face the Northwestern Wildcats, with tip-off scheduled for 20:30 on Wednesday, January 14.

With Northwestern capable of remaining close to Illinois, backing them on the spread could be the way forward. Odds of -120 is available that the +9.5 is covered.

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Illinois Fighting Illini won their previous game by a 75-69 scoreline. It was on the road against Iowa Hawkeyes.

Northwestern Wildcats suffered a defeat in their last game. A 77-75 (OT) scoreline occurred on the road against Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

Head-to-Head Statistics

Illini won the most recent matchup between these teams. A 83-74 victory was registered against Northwestern. In the past 10 games between the teams, Illini have won seven.

NCAAB	Overall	PF	PA	N. Pts	Home	Away	Strk
Illinois	13-3	1376	1079	297	9-3	4-0	5W
Northwestern	8-8	1266	1139	127	7-4	1-4	3L

View Full Standings

Illinois vs Northwestern Prediction & Picks

The Illinois vs Northwestern betting tips feature sharp analysis across major markets, including a key match prediction, correct score guidance and a ready-made bet builder.

Game Prediction

The best bet could involve backing Northwestern against the spread in this college showdown. There’s an attractive +9.5 available at -120 that they cover the line and that has to be our prediction.

We keep a close eye on team news and our college basketball handicappers stay sharp by tracking the latest form and lineups. You’ll also find a full set of stats that offer valuable insight and help shape smarter predictions ahead of the action.

Key Illinois vs Northwestern stats:

• The +9.5 line has been covered by Northwestern in 19 consecutive games at home.
• The -9.5 line hasn’t been covered by Illinois in 4 of their last 5 games on the road.
• The -9.5 line hasn’t been covered by Illinois in 12 of their last 17 games on the road.
• The -9.5 line hasn’t been covered by Illinois in 3 consecutive games on the road.
• The +9.5 line has been covered by Northwestern in 3 consecutive games against Illinois.

Northwestern +9.5 Probability

The top sportsbooks imply that our pick has a 54.6% prospect of winning. In the opinion of our cappers, there’s actually a probability of success closer to 60%. That means we’re regarding it as a value bet.

Want bigger odds when it comes to your wager? Never fear, you are able to head to the sportsbooks and move the line until you’re happy with the price.

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Our Game Prediction

Northwestern +9.5 @ -120 Bet Now

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Correct Score Prediction

Illinois 77 - 71 Northwestern

You don’t need a big stake to enjoy a huge payout by getting this correct score right. We’re going for the Illini to achieve a 77-71 victory and hopefully this goes close.

Illinois vs Northwestern Odds

The odds and lines are updated on a frequent basis. You might therefore find that they are different to the ones listed for the above betting predictions.

According to the Moneyline betting odds, Illinois are red-hot -500 favorites with the sportsbooks and that means a 83% chance of winning this college game. At +365, Northwestern are regarded as having a lower probability of winning.

9.5 is where the spread lies, with total points being 152.5 right now. A Total wager relates to the number of points that will be scored overall. There’s the chance to back Under 152.5 at -110.

The top basketball sportsbooks offer a huge selection of game lines and team props when it comes to most college games. Make sure you look through all the available options before deciding which bet to place.

Moneyline

Illinois

-500

Northwestern

+365

Point Spread

Illinois -9.5

-102

Northwestern +9.5

-120

Total Points

Under 152.5

-110

Over 152.5

-110

The gambling sites also allow you to place player prop bets such as Points, Assists, Steals and Rebounds. This means you can focus on an individual player’s performance rather than wager on the actual outcome of the game in question.

Micro betting is something that’s really popular with bettors, with college basketball fans essentially being able to wager in-game when it comes to score, player and team props. Check out the two-way lines where you can bet whether the next shot will be a Two-pointer or a Three-pointer.

Latest regular season and playoff games stats.

Illinois Stats

Northwestern Stats

Moneyline

• 8 wins and 2 defeats in the last 10 games
• 6 wins and 4 defeats in the last 10 games on the road

Moneyline

• 3 wins and 7 defeats in the last 10 games
• 6 wins and 4 defeats in the last 10 home games

Point Spread

• -9.5 Betting Line: Have covered the spread in 5 of the last 10 games
• -9.5 Betting Line on the Road: Have covered the spread in 3 of the last 10 games on the road

Point Spread

• +9.5 Betting Line: Have covered the spread in 8 of the last 10 games
• +9.5 Betting Line at Home: Have covered the spread in the last 10 home games

Total Points

• Game Totals: An average of 146.50 pts in the previous 10 games
• Game Totals on the Road: An average of 155.80 pts in the previous 10 games on the road
• Over 152.5: Covered in 3 of the previous 10 games
• Over 152.5 on the Road: Covered in 7 of the previous 10 games on the road
• Team Totals: Have scored an average of 80.10 pts and allowed 66.40 pts in the last 10 games
• Team Totals on the Road: Have scored an average of 78.60 pts and allowed 77.20 pts in the last 10 games on the road

Total Points

• Game Totals: An average of 151.00 pts in the previous 10 games
• Game Totals at Home: An average of 155.70 pts in the previous 10 home games
• Over 152.5: Covered in 5 of the previous 10 games
• Over 152.5 at Home: Covered in 7 of the previous 10 home games
• Team Totals: Have scored an average of 77.20 pts and allowed 73.80 pts in the last 10 games
• Team Totals at Home: Have scored an average of 84.30 pts and allowed 71.40 pts in the last 10 home games

NCAAB Table Select Season 2025/20262024/20252023/20242022/20232021/20222020/20212019/2020

Big Ten	Overall	PF	PA	N. Pts	Home	Away	Strk
Nebraska	17-0	1389	1118	271	14-0	3-0	17W
Purdue	15-1	1383	1089	294	12-1	3-0	7W
Michigan	14-1	1419	1027	392	10-1	4-0	1L
Michigan State	15-2	1343	1092	251	12-1	3-1	3W
USC	14-3	1437	1295	142	9-1	5-2	2W
Illinois	13-3	1376	1079	297	9-3	4-0	5W
Iowa	12-4	1266	987	279	11-1	1-3	2L
Wisconsin	12-5	1407	1275	132	9-1	3-4	3W
Indiana	12-5	1412	1169	243	11-2	1-3	2L
UCLA	11-5	1262	1105	157	10-1	1-4	1W
Ohio State	11-5	1330	1151	179	7-3	4-2	1L
Washington	10-6	1307	1170	137	7-1	3-5	1W
Minnesota	10-7	1243	1135	108	9-5	1-2	2L
Penn State	9-7	1250	1206	44	8-5	1-2	3L
Rutgers	9-8	1186	1244	-58	9-3	0-5	1W
Northwestern	8-8	1266	1139	127	7-4	1-4	3L
Oregon	8-9	1282	1262	20	7-4	1-5	3L
Maryland	7-10	1245	1327	-82	6-4	1-6	4L

• Overall = Overall Wins-Losses
• PF = Total Points For
• PA = Total Points Against
• N. Pts = Point Differential
• Home = Home Record
• Away = Away Record
• Strk = Current Streak

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