Big Ten Basketball: Penn State vs. Illinois Preview and Predictions

Senior Sports Handicapper Matt Rivers says bet on the under from Illinois and Penn State under 130.

It seems that every time Penn State and Illinois get together we see a beyond ugly low scoring game that sets the game of basketball back about 100 years. The first meeting was a 57-55 Penn State easy under upset victory and last season these teams tangled to something like a 36-34 final.

Then in the second meeting the defense was well ahead of the offense. I’m not saying that history always repeats itself in a scenario, such as this one, but neither team this season has exactly proven to be an offensive juggernaut and to get over around 130 points is a decent task with these two teams.

The Fighting Illini are clearly the superior team, but the Nittany Lions have been very good of late surprising team after team. Pretty much both teams play games in the 50’s and 60’s and now up against each other I just don’t see much changing.

In the last five games, the Nittany Lions have had final score totals of 108, 116, 125, 134 and 112.

Meanwhile, Bruce Weber’s squad has seen a few more points overall in their games, but not many and that last loss at Indiana was a 52-49 doozy.

I’m not the biggest, totals go around and rarely release such a play. But I just believe that these two teams, in this situation, stay under that total a lot more times than they would go over which constitutes a value and a must play in some way, shape or form.

The upside is a lot better than the downside meaning that a game in the 50’s and an easy under is a lot more likely than a game in the 70’s and a sky high over, period.

Top expert pick on this game:  Penn State under from Matt Rivers

For more information: On Sunday I swept the board with that 400,000* on St. John’s outright by a billion against Duke and the 300,000* winner on the Cavaliers covering in Orlando. Now I’m repeating that feat with another 400,000* in the game from Gainesville between Vanderbilt and Florida along with a 300,000* involving North Carolina and Boston College. I’m ready to bash that Crookie one more time today that you can bet on! Matt Rivers predictions are up