Illinois Basketball vs Nebraska Gameday Guide and Prediction

No. 9 Illinois basketball will travel to Lincoln for a marquee Big Ten showdown against the No. 5 Nebraska Cornhuskers. The Illini dropped the first meeting between these two teams on December 13 and will be looking for revenge in round two.

Date: Sunday, February 1
Time: 3:00 PM CST
Channel: FS1
Line: Nebraska -2.5

Illinois basketball suffered an 83–80 home loss to Nebraska earlier this season in what was their worst defensive performance of the year. The Illini surrendered a 131.4 offensive efficiency, allowing 83 points, while Nebraska forward Pryce Sandfort poured in 32.

Since that loss, Illinois has rattled off 10 straight wins and has emerged as one of the best teams in the country. Dating back to December 14, the Illini rank No. 4 nationally at Bart Torvik, behind only Houston, Michigan, and Arizona. Illinois boasts the No. 1 offense in the country and ranks No. 3 in offensive rebounding percentage.

Nebraska enters Sunday as a slight favorite despite a three-point road loss at Michigan on Tuesday night. The Cornhuskers were without Rienk Mast and Braden Frager in that game, but still pushed the Wolverines to the limit. The loss dropped Nebraska to an impressive 20–1 record on the season.

Both Mast and Frager are listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup. Mast was taken to the emergency room due to the flu, while Frager suffered an ankle sprain in Nebraska’s game against Washington.

Illinois senior guard Kylan Boswell has missed the last three games, but his absence hasn’t slowed the Illini. Illinois went into Mackey Arena and knocked off then–No. 4 Purdue and will now look to secure another top-five road win in Lincoln. The Illini sit at 10 straight wins and hold a 9–1 conference record.

This top-10 matchup carries massive implications in the Big Ten title race. The winner will keep pace with Michigan at 10–1 in conference play, while the loser will fall one game back and be tied with Michigan State for third place.

Expect a high-level battle between two programs currently projected as No. 2 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. Nebraska gets a slight edge at home, but this one could go either way.

Score Prediction: Nebraska 79, Illinois 77

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