The No. 15 Michigan Wolverines are still in the hunt for the Big Ten regular-season title and they’ll host the Illinois Fighting Illini for a big matchup on CBS and Paramount+ on Sunday. Michigan (22-6, 14-3 Big Ten) has won eight of its last nine and is tied with Michigan State atop the Big Ten standings. Meanwhile, Illinois is 18-11 on the season and ranks seventh in the conference at 10-8 in league play. The Fighting Illini have won eight of the last 10 head-to-head matchups and are 7-2-1 against the spread during that span.
Tipoff is set for 3:45 p.m. ET at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Michigan vs. Illinois odds via SportsLine consensus list the Wolverines as 3.5-point favorites, while the over/under for total points scored is 159.5. You can watch this matchup on CBS and Paramount+, where you can get a seven-day free trial right here.
SportsLine’s proven model has simulated Illinois vs. Michigan 10,000 times and revealed the three best bets for this game. See all the college basketball picks from SportsLine right here.
The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 17 of the 2024-25 season on a 220-160 betting roll (+2005) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
Here are three college basketball best bets for Michigan vs. Illinois (on CBS and Paramount+) on Sunday:
Under 159.5 (-110)
These are two teams with some scoring depth but the big issue here is that neither team shoots the ball well from beyond the arc. Michigan ranks 140th in Division I in 3-point shooting (34.6%) and Illinois ranks an abysmal 338th (30.5%). It’s entirely likely that one or both of these teams are ice cold from outside and the Under has hit in six of the last nine games that Michigan has played. See all of the model’s Sunday college basketball picks here.
The Pick: Under 159.5 — The Under hits in 68% of the model’s simulations
Projected final score: Michigan 77, Illinois 76
Bonus Sunday CBB pick: SportsLine expert Bob Konarski, who is 6-2 on his last eight picks on Bradley, has locked in his best bet for Bradley vs. Northern Iowa right here.
Illinois +3.5 (-104)
The Fighting Illini ended a three-game losing streak with an 81-61 win over Iowa on Tuesday and has an opportunity to close out the regular season with some momentum in matchups against Michigan and Purdue. Illinois has won eight in a row in this series and covered the spread in seven of those eight matchups, including a dominant season series last season. Illinois won 97-68 at home as 15.5-point favorites and also enjoyed an 88-73 win in Ann Arbor as 2.5-point favorites. Don’t forget to stream the game on Paramount+, where you can get a free seven-day trial.
The Pick: Illinois +3.5 — The Fighting Illini cover in 53% of simulations
Projected final score: Michigan 77, Illinois 76
Bonus Sunday pick: SportsLine’s model is on a 220-160 roll on college basketball picks dating back to 2023 and it has simulated every game on Sunday 10,000 times. See the model’s best bets for every Sunday college basketball game right here.
Michigan Under 81.5 team total points (-120)
For the season, Dusty May’s squad has been averaging 79.8 points per game but that number has dipped to 76.2 points per game during Big Ten play. Meanwhile, the Illinois defense has struggled at times but did just hold Iowa to 61 points earlier this week and has limited four of its last six opponents to under 80. Don’t forget to stream the game on Paramount+, where you can get a free seven-day trial.
The Pick: Michigan Under 81.5 team points — The Wolverines score 77 points in the simulations
Projected final score: Michigan 77, Illinois 76
Bonus Sunday CBB pick: SportsLine’s Larry Hartstein is 37-15 (+2028) over his last 52 college basketball ATS picks and just locked in his top play for Kansas State vs. Colorado here.
Want more college basketball picks for Sunday?
You’ve seen the model’s college basketball best bets for Michigan vs. Illinois. Now, get picks for every game from SportsLine’s model that’s on a 220-160 roll on college basketball picks dating back to 2023. Visit SportsLine to get all of its college basketball picks for Sunday right here.
And don’t forget to watch Illinois vs. Michigan and other select college basketball games on CBS and Paramount+. Get a free seven-day trial right here.