Florida Atlantic Owls vs Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Pick & Prediction 12/5/23

Planning on watching today’s Owls and Fighting Illini game? Catch the action at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY, as the Fighting Illini hosts this showdown at 6:30 ET on ESPN. In this non-conference matchup, the Owls are the betting favorite against the Fighting Illini. The over/under for the game is 147.5 points.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC OWLS VS ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI BETTING PICK

The Pick: Illinois Fighting Illini +2

This game will be played at Madison Square Garden at 6:30 ET on Tuesday, December 5th.

WHY BET THE ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 75-67 in favor of the Fighting Illini.
• Not only will Illinois pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +2.
• The over/under is currently sitting at 147.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 142 points.

Will the Owls Defense Show Up in New York?

Florida Atlantic has a 7-1 overall record after playing eight games. When playing on the road, the Owls are 3-0, and they are 4-1 at home. Florida Atlantic is currently performing well against the spread, sitting at 6-2. Looking at their last five games, they have a 4-1 record vs. the spread.

Through eight games, Florida Atlantic has an over/under record of 4-4-0 with their games averaging a combined 151 points per game so far. The Owls have seen their last five games conclude with a collective average of 159 points per game and an over/under record of 3-2.

Florida Atlantic’s offense is coming off a strong performance vs. Charleston, finishing the game with a total of 90 points. Their season average is now 83.9 points per game. Offensively, the Owls hold a season-long field goal percentage of 50%, placing them 30th in the national rankings. When it comes to three-pointers, they are ranked 61st in terms of percentage and 69th in three-pointers made.

So far this season, the Florida Atlantic defense has been performing well, ranking 75th in the country at 67.1 points allowed per contest. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Florida Atlantic’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 40.6% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 31.0% this season.

Can the Fighting Illini Grab a Win at Home?

Illinois has a 6-1 record so far this season after playing seven games. All of their games this season have been on the road. Illinois currently has a sub-.500 ATS record at 3-4. Over their last five games, the team is 3-2 vs. the spread.

So far, Illinois’ games have averaged 136.1 points per game with the average over/under line being 144.7 points. When looking at the Fighting Illini’s last three games, their over/under record is 1-2, with their games averaging 138 points per game.

In their latest game, Illinois offense put up 76 points against Rutgers. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 45.5% and made 9 threes. In terms of offense, the Fighting Illini have a season-long field goal percentage of 46%, putting them 144th in the NCAA. Regarding three-pointers, they are ranked 247th in percentage and 112nd in three-pointers made.

The Fighting Illini’s defense is presently ranked 7th nationally, allowing an average of 58.6 points per contest. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Illinois’ defense has allowed opponents to shoot 34.3% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 29.7% this season.