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#3 Purdue vs. #12 Illinois Prediction, Free Best Bets & Odds: Today, 3/5

The Purdue Boilermakers and the Illinois Fighting Illini face off tonight in Champaign, Illinois, for a premier Big 10 Conference matchup. This matchup should be the best game of the night as it features two of the best offenses in all college basketball and two teams ranked in the top 15 nationally. 

The game tips at 7:00 PM ET and can be seen on Peacock. We have shared our expert #3 Purdue vs. #12 Illinois prediction below with odds and a $150 sign-up bonus provided by FanDuel Sportsbook.

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🏀 PURDUE VS. ILLINOIS PREDICTION: Over 164.5 (-110 at FanDuel) 🔥

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#3 Purdue vs. #12 Illinois Prediction for Today, 3/5 on Peacock

We saw this matchup take place earlier this season in West Lafayette. The Boilermakers took care of business, winning 83-78 on the back of Trey Kaufman-Renn's career-high 23 points. That was a fun game to watch, but Illinois was without their best player, Terrance Shannon Jr., who was suspended.

This will be a high-octane matchup between these two Big Ten teams that possess two of the best offenses in the country. According to KenPom, Purdue ranks as the second-best offensive efficiency in the country on the back of consensus All-American Zach Edey. However, the Illinois Fighting Illini are not too far behind, sitting with the third-best offensive efficiency in the country, led by their two seniors, Marcus Domask and Terrance Shannon Jr.

The huge difference between these two teams is the defensive metrics. Purdue is a solid defensive team, ranking just outside the top 20 in defensive efficiency. The Illinois defense was solid to begin the season but has since fallen off a cliff, ranking 103rd in the country. With that said, our #3 Purdue vs. #12 Illinois prediction is Over 164.5 Total Points (-110 at FanDuel).

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#3 Purdue vs. #12 Illinois Expert Best Bets & Pick Against the Spread for Today's Game

The Illinois Fighting Illini are playing good basketball, winning three straight games against Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. They had a wake-up call, so to speak, with them losing to Penn State, 90-89, on the road after being up by eight points with under two minutes left in the game.

This Illinois offense has three key players: Terrance Shannon Jr, Marcus Domask and Coleman Hawkins. We mentioned above that Terrance Shannon Jr. was suspended for the first matchup between these two teams. It took a bit for Shannon to get going after the suspension but in his last seven games, he has been great. He has scored at least 23 points in six of those seven games and brings a transition factor Illinois did not have in the first matchup.

Marcus Domask and Coleman Hawkins steadied the ship with Shannon out and have taken another step since Shannon has been back. Domask is coming off a huge homecoming game against Wisconsin, scoring 31 points. As for Coleman Hawkins, he is a switchable big who can guard 1-5 and may be the most important player on this Illini team.

Even with all the positives we just bestowed upon the Illini, our Purdue vs. Illinois best bet and pick against the spread is Purdue +1.5 (-102 at FanDuel). Purdue is just so steady, only losing three games all season. If they win this game, they can clinch the regular season Big Ten title.

If they are going to do that, I believe the Purdue guards are going to step up in this one. Zach Edey is going to get his 20+ points, and I believe Illinois will be okay with that. However, if Braden Smith, Lance Jones and Fletcher Loyer can knock down shots tonight, Illinois will be in trouble. With the way the Illinois defense has been playing as of late, the Purdue offense will be too much to handle for the Illini.

Purdue +1.5 (-102 at FanDuel) is our #3 Purdue vs. #12 Illinois prediction, so 🔥sign up here🔥 at FanDuel to place your $5+ wager for a chance to win $150 in bonus bets.

How to Bet on Over 164.5 at FanDuel and Win $150 in Bonus Bets

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You can bet using our #3 Purdue vs. #12 Illinois prediction on any market with your first-ever bet and receive $150 in bonus bets if your bet wins. So, sign up with FanDuel Sportsbook and fade or follow our #3 Purdue vs. #12 Illinois prediction of Over 164.5 (-112 at FanDuel). The best part is you don’t even need a promo code to be eligible! Tap the link above to be redirected to FanDuel Sportsbook and make your new account now.

#3 Purdue vs. #12 Illinois Betting Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook

We have highlighted the Purdue vs. Illinois odds at FanDuel Sportsbook below:

  • Point Spread: Purdue +1.5 (-102) vs. Illinois -1.5 (-118)
  • Money Line: Purdue (+112) vs. Illinois (-134)
  • Game Total: Over 164.5 (-110) vs. Under 164.5 (-110)

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Place a $5+ wager using our #3 Purdue vs. #12 Illinois prediction to receive $150 in bonus bets, if your initial bet wins. If you would like to wager on anything else pertaining to today’s game, make sure you take a look at the rest of the #3 Purdue vs. #12 Illinois odds.

#3 Purdue vs. #12 Illinois Injury Report Ahead of Tonight's Game

Both teams head into this game at full strength, so there is nothing to report on the injury front. Below, we have laid out the projected starting lineups for tonight's Big Ten matchup between Purdue and Illinois.

Purdue

  • F Braden Smith
  • F Trey Kaufmann-Renn
  • C Zach Edey
  • G Fletcher Loyer
  • G Lance Jones

Illinois

  • G Ty Rodgers
  • G Terrance Shannon Jr.
  • C Coleman Hawkins
  • F Marcus Domask
  • F Quincy Guerrier

Review the starting lineups for both teams and fade or follow our expert #3 Purdue vs. #12 Illinois prediction of Over 164.5 (-110 at FanDuel) when you register with that pick in mind at FanDuel Sportsbook today.

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