No. 9 Illinois vs. No. 1 Purdue odds, line: Model reveals college basketball picks, predictions for Jan. 5, 2024

A Big Ten battle features the No. 9 Illinois Fighting Illini (11-2) going on the road to play the No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers (13-1) on Friday at 8:30 p.m. ET at Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers are 10.5-point favorites in the latest Illinois vs. Purdue odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 149 (see up-to-date odds for every game this week on our college basketball odds page). 

Before making any Illinois vs. Purdue picks, you need to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 9 of the 2023-24 season on a 101-66 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $2,000 for $100 players. It is also off to a fast 11-4 start on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen HUGE returns!

The model knows Purdue center Zach Edey is such an anchor down low for this group. Edey skies over opposing players and uses his long arms to his advantage. The Ontario native leads the conference in both points (23.1) and rebounds (10.3). In his last game, Edey finished with 23 points and 12 boards.

The model also knows Illinois senior forward Marcus Domask has been a reliable force in the frontcourt. Domask gets downhill with a knack for finishing through contact. The Wisconsin native logs 13.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. On Jan. 2 against Northwestern, he finished with 32 points and six assists.

Now, the model has set its sights on Illinois vs. Purdue. We can tell you the model is leaning Under on the point total, and it also says one side of the spread hits nearly 70% of the time! You ABSOLUTELY need to see the model before locking in any college basketball picks.

Who wins Illinois vs. Purdue, and which side of the spread hits nearly 70% of the time? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the spread you should be all over, all from that's on a 101-66 roll on top-rated college basketball picks!