An important game that could alter seeding for the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments takes place inside the State Farm Center when the No. 18 Purdue Boilermakers (21-9, 13-6 Big Ten) take on the Illinois Fighting Illini (19-11, 11-8 Big Ten)
Purdue is in a three-way tie for third place in the conference, and a win on Friday will give the Boilermakers a chance to sneak into the top four. That move would mean a double bye for Purdue, ensuring the team’s inclusion in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament next week.
Illinois is locked into the second tier of teams and will earn a first-round bye for the Big Ten tourney. The Fighting Illini can advance beyond the No. 8 seed in next week’s bracket with a win, avoiding a matchup against either Michigan or Michigan State in the quarterfinals.
That’s not to mention the NCAA Tournament ramifications for these two teams. With so much riding on this late-season contest, how should bettors view this matchup? We’ll cover that and our three favorite player prop bets for Friday’s game.
Illinois Fighting Illini G Kasparas Jakucionis OVER 16.5 Points
Lithuanian Kasparas Jakucionis has been a breath of fresh air for the Illini this season. The 6-foot-6 freshman is leading the team with 15.4 points, adding 5.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists each outing.
Despite being a freshman, Jakucionis has been a consistent scorer this season. He’s finished with at least 17 points in five of his team’s past seven games. Expect him to continue that trend on Friday against the Boilermakers, covering this player prop bet.
Purdue Boilermakers F Trey Kaufman-Renn OVER 26.5 Pts + Reb
Purdue has relied on junior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn. The 6-foot-9 athlete is among the top 30 in the nation with his 19.4 points per game. He’s also 11th in the country in field goal percentage, hitting 61.5 percent of his shots this year.
Kaufman-Renn is also grabbing 6.1 rebounds per game, showing his ability to clean up missed shots off the glass. Expect him to do a lot of that on Friday, easily covering that player prop bet against the Illini.
Illinois Fighting Illini F Will Riley UNDER 5.5 Rebounds
Illinois has another strong freshman in Will Riley. The 6-foot-8 forward is averaging 11.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per night for the Fighting Illini. He’s also earned a spot in the starting lineup in the previous two games.
White has been streaky at best on the boards. He’s recorded seven or more rebounds three times out of his last 10 games, but he went through an eight-game stretch with just six or fewer. Despite the presumption that he’ll play significant minutes on Friday, bettors should take the under on this player prop wager.
Best Bet: Purdue (+4.5)
While Purdue is a shoo-in for the NCAA Tournament, the Illini are not. Illinois has several quality wins and played a strong schedule, but the Fighting Illini could ensure its spot in the premier postseason event with a win on Friday night.
Bettors should take the Boilermakers to pull off the upset on Friday. Purdue’s style of play will be a problem for the Illini. At worst, the Boilermakers lose the game by less than four points to cover the spread tonight.
