Penn State probably has done enough this season to get an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament, but if the Nittany Lions don’t want to be sweating on Selection Sunday, they need to upset Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday from Chicago.

Penn State is the No. 10 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and Illinoi the No. 3. The winner faces No. 2 Northwestern, and both these teams are more than capable of winning that to reach the semifinals.

The Nittany Lions were 2-0 vs. the Illini this season. On Dec. 10 in Champaign, it was 74-59 when Illinois was ranked No. 17. Andrew Funk and Jalen Pickett scored 20 points apiece to lead four Nittany Lions in double figures. Funk was 6-for-9 from deep, while Pickett added seven rebounds and six assists to round out his strong overall performance. Seth Lundy finished with 16 points and seven rebounds, while Myles Dread nailed five triples for 15 points. Penn State defeated a Top-20 Big Ten team on the road for the first time since Feb. 4, 2020 (75-70 at #16 Michigan State). It was PSU’s largest margin of victory in a true road win against a ranked Big Ten team in program history.

On Feb. 14 in State College, the final score was 93-81. Pickett scored 41 points on 15-of-20 shooting while adding eight assists. Pickett’s 41-point game was the sixth 40-point game in Penn State history and the first since 1961. His 41 points set a Bryce Jordan Center record and are the most points scored by a Big Ten player this season. Pickett’s 15 made field goals set the Bryce Jordan Center facility record, surpassing Lamar Stevens’ 14 made field goals in a game against Northwestern on January 5, 2018.

Before all else, Nitrobetting takes a peek at important game details that help you lock in on the best picks. Below, you can find event information, team and player stats, and the latest College Basketball odds. We also have timely betting trends and predictions at your disposal.

Penn State vs. Illinois 2023 Big Ten Tournament Game Information

Chi-Town#WeAre pic.twitter.com/agOo5ORTrc

— Penn State Men’s Basketball (@PennStateMBB) March 8, 2023

• When: Thursday, March 9 at 6:30 pm ET
• Where: United Center, Chicago, IL
• TV: BTN
• Radio: CBS SPORTS RADIO 96.5 FM (Penn State) // WLS-AM 890 (Illinois)
• Live Stream: BTN.com
• NCAAB Betting Odds: Penn State (-2.5) // Illinois (+2.5)

READ MORE: Ohio State vs. Wisconsin NCAAB Odds and Preview – March 8th, 2023

Why Bet on the Penn State Nitanny Lions?

The Nittany Lions (19-12, 10-10) come off a buzzer-beating 65-64 win over No. 21 Maryland on Sunday. PSU erased a 16-point deficit and closed the game on a 20-7 run, capped off by an offensive rebound and putback by Camren Wynter with 0.5 seconds to play. It was his second straight game-winning shot in the final seconds.

Pickett finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists and has scored double-digit points in 28 of 31 games this season. He became the sixth Nittany Lion in program history to be named consensus (coaches and media) first-team All-Big Ten, and the first since Lamar Stevens in 2020. Pickett is the only player in the country averaging at least 18 points (18.0) per game, seven rebounds per game (7.3) and seven assists (7.0) per game. Only one men’s college basketball player in the last 30 years (since 1992-93 season) has finished the season averaging 18/7/7: Michigan State’s Denzel Valentine in 2015-16.

Penn State finished the regular season at 10-10 in conference play, the eighth time the program has achieved a .500 or better record in its 31 seasons in the Big Ten. PSU and Illinois have met three times in Big Ten Tournament history, but not since 2008. Illinois has won all three of the previous tourney meetings. The Nittany Lions have never won a Big Ten Tournament championship, but did advance to the championship game in 2011.

Why Bet on the Illinois Fighting Illini?

Illinois (20-11, 11-9) closed the regular season with a 76-71 loss at Big Ten regular-season champion Purdue on Sunday. Senior Terrence Shannon Jr. was named a first-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches, while garnering second-team accolades by the media. Shannon has been one of the nation’s top transfers this season, leading the Illini in scoring and ranking seventh in the Big Ten at 17.1 points per game. He also leads the league in free throws made (153) while ranking second in attempts (192), and leads the Illini with 37 steals. Another transfer, Matthew Mayer, was named third-team All-Big Ten. He ranks second on the team in scoring and third in rebounding, averaging 13.0 points and 5.4 rebounds.

Illinois has the third-most Big Ten Tournament wins all time with 31. It has won three BTT championships (2003, 2005, 2021), tied for third-most in the league. The BTT returns to Chicago for the first time since 2019. Illinois is 17-8 all-time in BTT games played at the United Center, winning the championship in 2003 and 2005 and making title game appearances in 1999 and 2000. While Illinois is playing for the first time as a No. 7 seed, the Illini are 2-0 all-time in the BTT vs. No. 10 seeds.

Freshman guard Jayden Epps remains in the concussion protocol but did travel with the team to Chicago. Not clear if he will play Thursday. Epps, who is third on the team in scoring (10.0 points), went down in practice a week ago. He missed the past two games.

Penn State vs. Illinois Betting Trends

• Penn State is 5-1 SU in the last 6 games.
• The Nittany Lions are 10-3 ATS in the last 13 games against Illinois.
• The total went over in 12 of Penn State’s last 18 games.
• Illinois is 8-3 SU in the last 11 games played on a Thursday.
• The Fighting Illini are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 games.
• The total went under in 14 of Illinois’ last 19 games against Penn State.

Penn State vs. Illinois Expert Prediction

Illinois 72, Penn State 69.

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