#16 Illinois vs. #19 Iowa Picks and Predictions: Big Ten Battle
Written by: Nate Hornung
Published: Sat Jan 10, 2026, 6:42 pm ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
ncaab
Brad Underwood and Ben McCollum lead their 12-3 teams into this ranked Big Ten battle on Sunday morning. The No. 16 Illinois Fighting Illini head to Iowa City to take on the No. 19 Iowa Hawkeyes. After losing to Nebraska in their conference home opener, Illinois have won four straight games and sit at 3-1 in Big Ten play. The Hawkeyes just lost to Minnesota to move to 2-2 in conference play. Will they bounce back after that loss and find a way to pull off this victory as short favorites at home? Let's find out with our favorite picks.
Best Bet: Illinois ML (+100) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
Go check out what else I've got on my daily card, and view the latest odds at the best online sportsbooks.
#16 Illinois Fighting Illini vs. #19 Iowa Hawkeyes NCAA Basketball Insights
Bennett Stirtz is heavily involved in the Hawkeye's offense, averaging over 35 minutes per game
Illinois has three ranked losses, all forgivable. They lost to No. 11 Alabama and to No. 5 UConn on neutral sites, but were upset by No. 23 Nebraska at the State Farm Center. However all three of those teams are very good ball clubs, and the Huskers are still undefeated. After dealing with some injuries early on in the year, Brad Underwood's European All Stars of Champaign are pretty much back to full strength and certainly have been playing like it.
For Iowa, the loss to Minnesota is not something you want on your record. However their other two losses were to No. 7 Michigan State in East Lansing and to No. 4 Iowa State by four at Hilton Coliseum. Both of those early Ls are forgivable, and I would imagine the Hawkeyes come out with plenty of fire, trying to get things back on track. But Illinois is no slouch, and it won't be easy.
Matchup Information – Illinois vs. Iowa – January 11
- Venue & Location: Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Iowa City, IA)
- Date: Sunday, January 11, 2025
- Kick Off: 12:00 p.m. Eastern
- Broadcast: FOX
Illinois vs. Iowa Betting Odds
Odds are courtesy of Lucky Rebel, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of January 10, 2025 at 6:17 p.m. eastern. Sign up today with and get a $1,250 deposit bonus, as well as 50 slot spins immediately. Lucky Rebel Sportsbook offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.
Spread
- Illinois +1.5 (-115)
- Iowa -1.5 (-105)
Moneyline
- Illinois +100
- Iowa -120
Total
- Over 143.5 (-115)
- Under 143.5 (-105)
Iowa is one of the slowest teams in the nation, ranking bottom 25 in possessions per game, averaging less than 64 trips up and down the court per contest. Illinois is also on the slower side of things, but both are very efficient on both sides of the ball.
#16 Illinois vs. #19 Iowa NCAA Basketball Picks and Predictions
Kylan Boswell and the Illini take on the Hawkeyes on the road tomorrow
Illinois vs. Iowa Prediction: Illinois Wins Outright, Under 143.5
Best Bet: Illinois ML (+100) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
I am very high on this Illini team. Does that mean I'm low on the Hawkeyes? Of course not. But Illinois is playing much better ball recently, and I believe they have the defensive personnel to slow down Iowa.
Bennett Stirtz does EVERYTHING for the Hawkeyes. He leads the team with 35.5 minutes per game, playing 10 more than the next guy who's on the court the most. Stirtz leads the team with 18 points, 5.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game, shooting over 40% from deep and 50% from the field. Stirtz scores nine more points and has two more assists per game than the second teammate in each of those categories. If you stop him, you stop Iowa. Michigan State held Stirtz to 14 points and Iowa State held him to just 10.
Illinois will have the same thinking on defense, and they should have success. Illinois is top 20 in adjusted defensive efficiency and opponent eFG%, while ranking top 35 in defensive rebounds and leading the nation in free throw rate defense. Brad Underwood will have his guys very focused on that side of the ball, and I have no worries that the points will come naturally on the other end.
Still Didn't Get Your NCAA Basketball Fix?
Here at Betting News, we offer Free Expert Picks for every major sports league. We also host daily streams on our Twitch Channel with our best bets, as well as sweat out games on Playback! Be sure to tune into everything we have going on at our Youtube, TikTok, and X pages as well, and follow my personal twitter @Shaggy_Bets for my full daily card.
- Transfer Portal Update
- 2025-2026 NCAA Basketball Preview
- SEC Basketball Preview
- Big 12 Conference Picks
- Big Ten Conference Predictions
- ACC Basketball Preview
More NCAAB News
NCAAB Betting News
NCAA Expands March Madness Tournament to 76 Teams Beginning in 2027
NCAAB Betting News
NCAA Basketball Transfer Portal Update: Portal Entries and New Signings
NCAAB Betting News
NCAA Basketball Coaching Changes: Where Are They Now?
NCAAB Betting News
#2 UConn vs. #1 Michigan Picks and Predictions: National Championship
Get FREE Picks and Props Weekly
Sign up for
THE WEEKENDER NEWSLETTER
Check Out All of Our Betting Resources at Betting News
Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
This site contains commercial content. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. Betting News makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event.