Purdue Illinois Betting – Boilermakers Battle Fighting Illini For Position In Big Ten

The 12th-ranked Purdue Boilermakers will have one final tune up before back-to-back games against the top two opponents they will face from the Big Ten when they take on the Illinois Fighting Illini on Sunday. Purdue is scheduled to host No. 14 Wisconsin before the undefeated No. 1 Ohio State Buckeyes in consecutive games beginning on Wednesday, but not before first trying to secure the crucial road win.

• (12) nprs @ Illinois Fighting Illini
• Sunday February 13, 2011 – 1:00 PM ET
• Assembly Hall, Champaigne, Illinois
• Online Sports Betting Odds: Boilermakers – 3.5

The Fighting Illini will try to rebound after falling to Northwestern and then taking on the Minnesota Golden Gophers in a couple of tough road games. Illinois has managed to hover around the .500 mark against ranked teams this season, but will be in tough against a Boilermakers’ team that is trying to keep pace right behind Ohio State in the Big Ten.

College Basketball Betting Preview: Purdue

The Boilermakers fell to the Buckeyes by a 23-point margin in their first meeting of the season, and will have a tough time against Ohio State and the Badgers in back-to-back games even despite being the hosts. That will make a win over the Fighting Illini that much more crucial for center JaJuan Johnson and company, who will look to build on a 67-53 win over Indiana their last time on the floor. Johnson scored 15 and added eight rebounds in the 14-point win, while E’Twaun Moore scored a game-high 25 points and also grabbed eight boards. That tandem will be in the spotlight once again as the Boilermakers look to re-establish themselves as a national power, and string together consecutive wins for the first time since mid-January.

Countering the Boilermakers with a high-tempo offense that ranks 15th in the country in assists per game with 16.8 will be the key for Illinois, although it is much easier said than done. The Fighting Illini have just two wins in their past seven games against Big Ten opponents, and it’s inconsistencies at both ends of the sports betting bonus floor that has led to their unraveling. The one consistent has been senior guard Demitri McCamey, who has averaged 14.7 points and 6.7 assists per game, which are both team-high’s. McCamey will need to be brilliant in order for Illinois to stay close against a much more complete Purdue team.

College Basketball Betting: Outlook & Pick

The Boilermakers are on their way to becoming a top-10 team even if they fall to Ohio State, as long as they can find a way to take down Illinois and Wisconsin. While the Fighting Illini have battled to earn a .500 mark in Big Ten play, they have struggled against the top betting competition they have faced, and that will continue Sunday as they try to slow Moore and Johnson for Purdue.

College Basketball Betting Pick: Purdue