The bloom is off the rose for these Illini (14-6, 6-4 Big Ten), who went from being underrated by the college basketball illuminati early this season to now arguably underperforming as the expectations around them have risen. The climb up the mountain, as always, gets harder with every subsequent step toward the top.
Analyzing Sunday’s Northwestern at Illinois odds and lines, with college basketball expert picks, predictions and best bets.
Illinois knocked off Northwestern in a college basketball game Sunday. Full recap, game highlights from Champaign, Illinois.
Despite (or maybe because of) their unpredictability, the Illini went back to some old standbys to best the Wildcats on Sunday
It was the Illini's ninth straight win at State Farm Center against the Wildcats, who haven't swept a season series since 1966.
The Northwestern Wildcats (12-7, 3-5 Big Ten) hope to break a three-game road losing streak when they visit the Illinois Fighting Illini (13-6, 5-4 Big Ten) on Sunday, January 26, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Wisconsin basketball (16-5, 6-4 Big Ten) continues its stretch of important road games with a matchup against the Northwestern Wildcats (12-9, 3-7 Big Ten) on Saturday. The game will be Wisconsin's fourth road game in its last five contests.
Northwestern hasn't won at Illinois since January 2013 -- two months before Chris Collins became the Wildcats' head coach.
Northwestern takes on the No. 17 Wisconsin Badgers after Jalen Leach scored 23 points in Northwestern's 79-72 loss to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.
In his 12th season at the helm for Northwestern, Chris Collins has yet to crack the code at the State Farm Center. The last time the Wildcats (12-8, 3-6 Big Ten) visited Illinois, they were handed a 96-66 blowout — their largest defeat of the 2023-24 season.
The Wildcats boast a pair of the Big Ten's top-10 scorers, but most of their damage will not come from behind the arc.
Wisconsin basketball's unsung hero leads the Big Ten in three-point percentage. His play has been key to the Badgers' strong season to date.