Illinois vs Northwestern College Basketball Prediction, Odds, Picks, Best Bets for Jan. 14

The Illinois Fighting Illini (13-3, 4-1 Big Ten) hope to continue a five-game winning streak when they visit the Northwestern Wildcats (8-8, 0-5 Big Ten) on January 14, 2026 at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Before you place your bet on this matchup at FanDuel Sportsbook, here are the NCAA basketball odds and spreads you need to know.

Illinois vs. Northwestern Game Info and Odds

• Game day: Wednesday, January 14, 2026
• Game time: 8:30 p.m. ET
• TV channel: Big Ten Network
• Location: Evanston, Illinois
• Arena: Welsh-Ryan Arena

Illinois vs. Northwestern Picks and Prediction

All college basketball win probability predictions and picks are according to numberFire.
Prediction: Illinois win (63.3%)

Before you bet on Wednesday's Illinois-Northwestern spread (Illinois -9.5) or over/under (152.5 points), check out the betting trends and insights below.

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Illinois vs. Northwestern: ATS Betting Stats and Trends

• Illinois has covered 10 times in 16 games with a spread this season.
• Northwestern has compiled a 5-11-0 record against the spread this season.
• As a 9.5-point underdog or more in 2025-26, Northwestern is 1-1 against the spread compared to the 6-4 ATS record Illinois racks up as a 9.5-point favorite.
• The Fighting Illini sported a better record against the spread at home (10-7-0) than they did on the road (5-5-0) last season.
• The Wildcats have been better against the spread at home (3-5-0) than away (1-3-0) this year.
• Illinois' record against the spread in conference action is 3-2-0.
• Northwestern has posted one Big Ten win against the spread this season.

Illinois vs. Northwestern: Moneyline Betting Stats

• Illinois has been the moneyline favorite in 10 games this season and has come away with the win eight times (80%) in those contests.
• This season, the Fighting Illini have been victorious five times in six chances when named as a favorite of at least -549 or better on the moneyline.
• Northwestern has lost all four of the games it has been the moneyline underdog this season.
• The Wildcats have played as a moneyline underdog of +400 or longer in only one game this season, which they lost.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies Illinois has a 84.6% chance of coming away with a victory in the contest.

Illinois vs. Northwestern Head-to-Head Comparison

• Illinois has a +297 scoring differential, topping opponents by 18.6 points per game. It is putting up 86 points per game to rank 37th in college basketball and is giving up 67.4 per contest to rank 46th in college basketball.
• Keaton Wagler's 15.7 points per game lead Illinois and rank 223rd in the country.
• Northwestern is outscoring opponents by 7.9 points per game, with a +127 scoring differential overall. It puts up 79.1 points per game (136th in college basketball) and gives up 71.2 per contest (116th in college basketball).
• Northwestern's leading scorer, Nick Martinelli, is first in college basketball, putting up 24.1 points per game.
• The Fighting Illini win the rebound battle by 11.3 boards on average. They record 39.1 rebounds per game, which ranks 12th in college basketball, while their opponents grab 27.8 per contest.
• David Mirkovic leads the Fighting Illini with 8.6 rebounds per game (45th in college basketball action).
• The 30.3 rebounds per game the Wildcats accumulate rank 289th in college basketball, 1.8 fewer than the 32.1 their opponents collect.
• Martinelli tops the Wildcats with 6.8 rebounds per game (189th in college basketball).
• Illinois averages 109.4 points per 100 possessions on offense (15th in college basketball), and gives up 85.8 points per 100 possessions (46th in college basketball).
• The Wildcats put up 102.7 points per 100 possessions (89th in college basketball), while conceding 92.4 points per 100 possessions (164th in college basketball).

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