Flash back to Jan. 10, 2019. Brad Underwood was in just his second season as coach of the Fighting Illini. John Beilein was in his final season as coach of the Wolverines, and Illinois and Michigan were led in scoring by — wait for it — Ignas Brazdeikis and Trent Frazier, respectively.
The second-ranked Wolverines beat the Illini, 79-69, that night in Champaign, Ill. That is noteworthy because that is the last time Michigan has beaten Illinois in men’s basketball.
The Illinois Fighting Illini have won nine in a row against the Michigan Wolverines, and it is with that backdrop that No. 3 Michigan and No. 10 Illinois meet tonight at the State Farm Center in Champaign.
If the Wolverines (26-2, 16-1 in Big Ten) can stop the nine-game losing streak, they would clinch the outright conference regular season title. They are coming off a 77-67 victory over Minnesota on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Illini (22-6, 13-4) are looking to bounce back from a 95-94 overtime loss at UCLA on Saturday. The team sits in a three-way tie for second in the Big Ten, with Michigan State and Nebraska.
Michigan is a slight 1.5-point favorite over Illinois on Friday.
While Wolverines vs. Illini is the marquee attraction on Friday, there are other options on a sporting landscape that includes five NBA games and a partial college basketball schedule. Below is a snapshot of what to watch and bet for Friday, Feb. 27. All times Eastern.
College basketball best bets, where to watch
No. 3 Michigan at No. 10 Illinois
Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Champaign, Ill. | TV: FOX | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Illinois +1.5 | Expert: Illinois -105 (Chip Patterson)
As Duke showed last weekend, the Wolverines are not unbeatable. The Blue Devils knocked off then No. 1-ranked Michigan by controlling the boards and preventing second shots, outrebounding the Wolverines 41-28. That bodes well for Illinois, which ranks sixth in the country in rebound margin (10.6 rebounds per game). The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, says the Illini have a 75.0% chance to cover and assigns a B grade to Illinois +1.5. Meanwhile Patterson notes that Illinois hasn’t had a game since blowing a 23-point lead in an overtime loss at UCLA last Saturday. “So while Michigan had a bit of a palate-cleanser from the Duke game with its win against Minnesota at home, I think the Illini are going to be breathing fire,” he says.
NBA best bets, where to watch
Cavaliers at Pistons
Time: 7 p.m. | Location: Detroit | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Detroit -5.5
Two Eastern Conference contenders collide when the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers battle at Little Caesars Arena. The Pistons (43-14) lead the East by 5.5 games over the Celtics, while the Cavaliers (37-23) sit in fourth. But Cleveland is actually the +280 betting favorite at DraftKings to win the conference, ahead of Boston (+310) and Detroit (+360). On Friday, however, the Cavaliers will be without All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, who has a right groin strain. The SportsLine Projection Model says the Pistons have a 52.0% chance to cover and gives a C grade to Detroit -5.5.
Nuggets at Thunder
Time: 9:30 p.m. | Location: Oklahoma City | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Nuggets +8 | Expert: Nikola Jokic Under 52.5 Points + Assists + Rebounds -121 (Matt Severance)
Whom do you have for NBA MVP? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or Nikola Jokic? Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, is the -250 favorite at DraftKings, while three-time MVP Jokic is the +425 second choice. On Friday they will go head-to-head when Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder host Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. The game will be the first since Feb. 3 for Gilgeous-Alexander, who has missed the last nine games with an abdominal strain. The SportsLine Projection Model says the Nuggets have a 51.0% chance to cover and assigns a C grade to Denver +8. Meanwhile, Severance notes that Jokic had “just” 31 total points, rebounds and assists in his lone game against Oklahoma City this season. “Jokic could go 30/10/10 and we still win fairly easily,” he says.
Looking ahead
College basketball: No. 14 Kansas at No. 2 Arizona
Time: 4 p.m. Saturday | Location: Tucson, Ariz. | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Arizona -8.5
The first meeting this season between these two teams was one of college basketball’s games of the year. In a raucous environment at Allen Fieldhouse, the Jayhawks gave the No. 1 Wildcats their first loss of the season, 82-78. Kansas pulled the upset despite playing without presumptive No. 1 overall pick Darryn Peterson, whose mysterious absences from games this season have been well documented. He, however, has finished back-to-back games now for the Jayhawks (21-7, 11-4 in Big 12). Speaking of absences, Arizona stud freshman Koa Peat is getting closer to a return and could be back in the lineup on Saturday for the Wildcats (26-2, 13-2). The SportsLine Projection Model says there’s a 55.0% chance Arizona covers and gives a C grade to Wildcats -8.5.
No. 20 Arkansas at No. 7 Florida
Time: 8:30 p.m. Saturday | Location: Gainesville, Fla. | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)
SportsLine picks — Model: Arkansas +9.5 | Expert: Over 166.5 (Thomas Casale)
Two of the top teams in the SEC collide when the Florida Gators host the Arkansas Razorbacks at the O’Connell Center. The Gators (22-6, 13-2 in SEC) lead the conference by two games over the Razorbacks (21-7, 11-4) and Alabama, and they can clinch the outright regular season title with a win and a Crimson Tide loss at Tennessee on Saturday. But Arkansas has one of the most efficient offenses in the country. Led by freshman Darius Acuff, the Razorbacks average 128.6 points per 100 possessions according to KenPom, which ranks fourth in the nation. The SportsLine Projection Model says there’s a 52.0% chance Arkansas covers and assigns a C grade to Razorbacks +9.5. Meanwhile, Casale likes that Arkansas plays at a fast tempo (28th in the country). “The Gators averaged 92 points in wins over Georgia, Vanderbilt, Alabama and Texas A&M — all teams that rank top 80 in tempo,” he says.
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