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 21:30 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.

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	24-7	2612	2143	469	15-5	9-2	2W
Northwestern	15-18	2419	2366	53	11-9	4-9	2W

View Full Standings

Illinois vs Northwestern Prediction & Picks

We dive into the best Illinois vs Northwestern betting angles, including an expert match prediction, correct score forecast, top player prop bets and a value-focused 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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Disclosure: This preview contains affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. T&Cs apply. We only recommend licensed and regulated operators. See our Editorial Policy. Pick odds and lines reflect the price available at the time of publication (Jan 14, 01:57). Live market odds are updated regularly and may differ. 18+ (or legal age) | Gamble Responsibly.

Player Prop Picks

Top Pick: David Mirkovic Over 12.5 Points +105

David Mirkovic (Illini) is available at +105 to record Over 12.5 points. We are going to choose a Player Points prop bet which will hopefully see him cover the line.

Latest David Mirkovic Player Prop Odds

Points

Over 12.5

+105

Under 12.5

-135

Assists

Over 2.5

-161

Under 2.5

+125

Rebounds

Over 8.5

-100

Under 8.5

-130

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Keaton Wagler Under 14.5 Points -105

Keaton Wagler (Illini) is available at -105 to register Under 14.5 points. There could well be a failure on his part to cover the total and this looks pretty generous to us.

Latest Keaton Wagler Player Prop Odds

Points

Over 14.5

-125

Under 14.5

-105

Assists

Over 4.5

+105

Under 4.5

-141

Rebounds

Over 5.5

-149

Under 5.5

+115

Pick odds and lines correct at publication. Live market odds are updated regularly and may differ. T&Cs apply. 18+ (or legal age) | Gamble Responsibly.

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.

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Illinois vs Northwestern Odds

The odds and lines below are updated regularly and may differ from the prices shown in our picks, which are captured at the time of publication.

According to the Moneyline betting odds, Illinois are red-hot -526 favorites with the sportsbooks and that means a 84% chance of winning this college game. At +390, 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

-526

Northwestern

+390

Point Spread

Illinois -9.5

-110

Northwestern +9.5

-110

Total Points

Under 152.5

-110

Over 152.5

-110

Nick Martinelli is the favorite to hit the most buckets. You can back -130 that he gets Over 24.5 points. Alternatively, Under is trading at -100.

Nick Martinelli (Northwestern)

Over 24.5

-130

Under 24.5

-100

Andrej Stojakovic (Illinois)

Over 15.5

-105

Under 15.5

-125

Keaton Wagler (Illinois)

Over 14.5

-125

Under 14.5

-105

Kylan Boswell (Illinois)

Over 14.5

-105

Under 14.5

-125

David Mirkovic (Illinois)

Over 12.5

+105

Under 12.5

-135

Jayden Reid (Northwestern)

Over 9.5

-120

Under 9.5

-105

Tomislav Ivisic (Illinois)

Over 8.5

-115

Under 8.5

-115

Zvonimir Ivisic (Illinois)

Over 6.5

-105

Under 6.5

-120

Jayden Reid (Northwestern)

Over 5.5

-141

Under 5.5

+105

Keaton Wagler (Illinois)

Over 4.5

+105

Under 4.5

-141

Kylan Boswell (Illinois)

Over 3.5

-105

Under 3.5

-120

David Mirkovic (Illinois)

Over 2.5

-161

Under 2.5

+125

Nick Martinelli (Northwestern)

Over 1.5

+140

Under 1.5

-189

Andrej Stojakovic (Illinois)

Over 1.5

+130

Under 1.5

-175

Tomislav Ivisic (Illinois)

Over 1.5

-135

Under 1.5

-100

David Mirkovic (Illinois)

Over 8.5

-100

Under 8.5

-130

Nick Martinelli (Northwestern)

Over 6.5

+103

Under 6.5

-133

Keaton Wagler (Illinois)

Over 5.5

-149

Under 5.5

+115

Kylan Boswell (Illinois)

Over 5.5

+105

Under 5.5

-135

Andrej Stojakovic (Illinois)

Over 4.5

-141

Under 4.5

+105

Tomislav Ivisic (Illinois)

Over 4.5

-110

Under 4.5

-118

Jayden Reid (Northwestern)

Over 1.5

-200

Under 1.5

+150

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
Michigan	29-2	2741	2141	600	17-1	12-1	4W
Nebraska	26-5	2415	2045	370	19-2	7-3	1W
Michigan State	25-6	2442	2101	341	17-2	8-4	1L
Illinois	24-7	2612	2143	469	15-5	9-2	2W
Purdue	23-8	2550	2191	359	15-5	8-3	1L
Wisconsin	22-9	2581	2343	238	15-2	7-7	3W
UCLA	21-10	2417	2198	219	17-2	4-8	2W
Iowa	21-11	2413	2105	308	17-3	4-8	1W
Ohio State	20-11	2494	2262	232	14-5	6-6	3W
Indiana	18-14	2501	2309	192	15-6	3-8	2L
USC	18-14	2515	2494	21	11-7	7-7	8L
Washington	16-16	2463	2345	118	11-6	5-10	1W
Minnesota	15-17	2241	2193	48	13-8	2-9	1L
Northwestern	15-18	2419	2366	53	11-9	4-9	2W
Rutgers	14-18	2270	2407	-137	11-7	3-11	2W
Oregon	12-20	2267	2366	-99	10-10	2-10	1L
Penn State	12-20	2358	2539	-181	10-10	2-10	3L
Maryland	12-21	2300	2527	-227	9-8	3-13	1L

• 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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