Don’t miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Raiders and Fighting Illini. The game is starting at 1:00 ET on BTN, and it’s hosted by the Fighting Illini at State Farm Center in Champaign, IL. Get ready to place your bets! The odds for this non-conference game currently have the Fighting Illini as the betting favorite with the over/under line sitting at 145.5 points.

COLGATE RAIDERS VS ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI BETTING PICK

The Pick: Colgate Raiders +16

This game will be played at State Farm Center at 1:00 ET on Sunday, December 17th.

WHY BET THE COLGATE RAIDERS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-67 in favor of the Fighting Illini.
  • Even though we have Illinois winning straight-up, we like Colgate at +16.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 145.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 144 points.

Do the Raiders Have What it Takes to Win as Road Underdogs?

Today marks Colgate’s 11th contest of the season and they currently have a 6-4 overall record. In their previous ten away games, Colgate has a record of 5-5, which includes games from last year. As of today, Colgate has a 5-4 ATS record. Looking at their last five games, the team is 2-2 vs. the spread.

Up to this point, games involving Colgate have had an average of 133.4 points per game, with the average over/under line set at 144.7 points. Their over/under record is 2-7-0. When analyzing the Raiders’ last five games, they have produced a combined average of 143 points per game and an over/under record of 2-2.

In their latest game, Colgate offense put up 77 points against Vermont. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 53.6% and made 8 threes. On the offensive front, the Raiders have a season-long field goal percentage of 45%, ranking 235th nationally. When it comes to three-point shooting, they are ranked 116th in terms of percentage and 127th in three-pointers made.

Currently, the Raiders’ defense holds the 32nd rank in the nation, allowing 63.1 points per game. Against Vermont, the Raiders’ defense gave up 71 points and did a good job not fouling. For the game, Vermont only made 9 free-throws.

Can Illinois Secure a Home Victory?

Illinois will be playing their 10th game of the season with a 7-2 overall record. On the road, the Fighting Illini have a 1-1 record, while they are 5-1 at home. Heading into their game against Colgate, Illinois holds an ATS record of 3-4-1. However, in their last five games, the team has been solid against the spread at 4-0-1.

So far, Illinois’ games have averaged 139.8 points per game with the average over/under line being 144.8 points. The Fighting Illini have an over/under record of 2-1 in their last three games, with their games averaging 161 points per game.

Illinois’ offense is coming off a strong performance vs. Tennessee, finishing the game with a total of 79 points. Their season average is now 80 points per game. Leading the team in scoring is Terrence Shannon Jr., who is averaging 21.7 heading into today’s matchup. Additionally, Marcus Domask also maintains a PPG average of 11.4 heading into game.

At this time, the Fighting Illini’s defense is positioned 25th in the country, permitting 62.4 points per game. Illinois’ three-point defense is currently 54th in the country at 5.6 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 36.1% of their shots vs. Illinois.