Minnesota vs Illinois Prediction, Picks & Odds | 17 Jan 2026

College Basketball Betting Preview: Minnesota vs Illinois

The Minnesota Golden Gophers go up against the Illinois Fighting Illini, with tip-off scheduled for 12:00 on Saturday, January 17.

If you agree with our prediction that Illinois can be superior to Minnesota, you can get -110 for this selection against the spread. The favorites should be capable of covering the -15.5 line.

Taking our side against the spread? Take a moment to read our full BetMGM review, then take advantage of the current promo code before you jump in.

Minnesota Golden Gophers were beaten 78-75 in their previous game, being turned over at home to Wisconsin Badgers.

Illinois Fighting Illini got the win in their last game. A 79-68 triumph occurred on the road when meeting Northwestern Wildcats.

Head-to-Head Statistics

The last matchup between Illini and Minnesota saw the former win. It was a 95-74 scoreline. It’s been eight wins on the bounce for Illini when playing Minnesota. On the head-to-head front, they have won 9 of the past 10.

NCAAB	Overall	PF	PA	N. Pts	Home	Away	Strk
Illinois	14-3	1455	1147	308	9-3	5-0	6W
Minnesota	10-7	1243	1135	108	9-5	1-2	2L

View Full Standings

Minnesota vs Illinois Prediction & Picks

Explore our best Minnesota vs Illinois picks, including a main match prediction, correct score forecast and a bet builder ready to use. Scroll down for full analysis.

Game Prediction

Let’s go for the big favorites at a generous -15.5 on the spread. We like this pick and are able to get -110 that Illinois win this college showdown by a sizeable margin.

Incoming team news often impacts the betting lines and odds in significant ways. Our college hoops handicappers factor this in alongside recent form, while key stats are also carefully weighed to strengthen each basketball pick.

Key Minnesota vs Illinois stats:

• The -15.5 line has been covered by Illinois in 3 consecutive games at home.
• The -15.5 line has been covered by Illinois in 6 of their last 10 games against Minnesota.

Illini -15.5 Probability

According to the top sportsbooks, our pick has a 52.4% chance of winning. After careful examination, our cappers calculate this probability to be closer to 60%. It is the reason why we are recommending this college basketball wager.

If you want a good alternative to backing Illini against the spread, then the Winning Margin could be up your street. Choose from a wide range of options.

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Our Game Prediction

Illinois -15.5 @ -110 Bet Now

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Correct Score Prediction

Minnesota 63 - 81 Illinois

There’s a huge payout on the cards should you correctly predict the correct score. We’re siding with the Illini to claim a 81-63 win which will hopefully go close.

Minnesota vs Illinois 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.

At betting odds of -2000 with the sportsbooks, Illinois are regarded as 95% likely to win this college game. For those wanting to oppose the market leader, you can get +1000 about Minnesota.

There is a spread of 15.5 and total points has a line of 139.5. There are many ways to bet on basketball including the Totals. If you’re wanting to back Over 139.5, the odds are -110.

There are plenty of team props and game lines when it comes to wagering on college matchups and we recommend visiting the best basketball sportsbooks to find the wager that matches your view on the game.

Moneyline

Minnesota

+1000

Illinois

-2000

Point Spread

Minnesota +15.5

-110

Illinois -15.5

-110

Total Points

Under 139.5

-110

Over 139.5

-110

Prop bets don’t involve betting on a team to win and instead might look at a player’s individual performance. For example, the number of Points they might score or the number of Assists they might have.

Micro betting provides a rollercoaster ride for college basketball bettors. It can be great to enjoy the live lines, with the opportunity to bet on the Next Field Goal. Watch the live action before deciding which way to go.

Latest regular season and playoff games stats.

Minnesota Stats

Illinois Stats

Moneyline

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

Moneyline

• 8 wins and 2 defeats in the last 10 games
• 7 wins and 3 defeats in the last 10 home games

Point Spread

• +15.5 Betting Line: Have covered the spread in 9 of the last 10 games
• +15.5 Betting Line on the Road: Have covered the spread in 7 of the last 10 games on the road

Point Spread

• -15.5 Betting Line: Have covered the spread in 3 of the last 10 games
• -15.5 Betting Line at Home: Have covered the spread in 5 of the last 10 home games

Total Points

• Game Totals: An average of 140.40 pts in the previous 10 games
• Game Totals on the Road: An average of 137.40 pts in the previous 10 games on the road
• Over 139.5: Covered in 5 of the previous 10 games
• Over 139.5 on the Road: Covered in 4 of the previous 10 games on the road
• Team Totals: Have scored an average of 73.00 pts and allowed 67.40 pts in the last 10 games
• Team Totals on the Road: Have scored an average of 66.00 pts and allowed 71.40 pts in the last 10 games on the road

Total Points

• Game Totals: An average of 145.20 pts in the previous 10 games
• Game Totals at Home: An average of 151.70 pts in the previous 10 home games
• Over 139.5: Covered in 5 of the previous 10 games
• Over 139.5 at Home: Covered in 7 of the previous 10 home games
• Team Totals: Have scored an average of 79.30 pts and allowed 65.90 pts in the last 10 games
• Team Totals at Home: Have scored an average of 83.90 pts and allowed 67.80 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	16-1	1462	1161	301	13-1	3-0	8W
Michigan	15-1	1501	1099	402	10-1	5-0	1W
Michigan State	15-2	1343	1092	251	12-1	3-1	3W
Illinois	14-3	1455	1147	308	9-3	5-0	6W
USC	14-3	1437	1295	142	9-1	5-2	2W
UCLA	12-5	1333	1165	168	10-1	2-4	2W
Wisconsin	12-5	1407	1275	132	9-1	3-4	3W
Indiana	12-5	1412	1169	243	11-2	1-3	2L
Iowa	12-5	1338	1066	272	11-1	1-4	3L
Ohio State	11-5	1330	1151	179	7-3	4-2	1L
Minnesota	10-7	1243	1135	108	9-5	1-2	2L
Washington	10-7	1379	1252	127	7-2	3-5	1L
Rutgers	9-8	1186	1244	-58	9-3	0-5	1W
Penn State	9-8	1310	1277	33	8-6	1-2	4L
Oregon	8-9	1282	1262	20	7-4	1-5	3L
Northwestern	8-9	1334	1218	116	7-5	1-4	4L
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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