The No. 2 Michigan Wolverines (26–2, 16–1) travel to Champaign tonight to face the No. 6 Illinois Fighting Illini (22–6, 13–4) with an opportunity to clinch the Big Ten regular season title. Defeating the Illini, however, has proven difficult for the Wolverines who have lost nine in a row to their conference rival. Michigan has not defeated Illinois since a 79-69 win on January 10, 2019.
Each of these teams’ offenses is elite. Illinois is ranked No. 1 in offensive efficiency in the nation with Michigan ranked seventh. The difference between the teams happens on the defensive end where the Wolverines rank as the third-best team in the country while the Illini are No. 70 in defensive efficiency.
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Illinois is led by freshman standout Keaton Wagler, who averages 18.2 points per game and recently set the school’s freshman scoring record. Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg leads the Michigan attack averaging 14.2 points per game.
As if the game needed another storyline worth watching, this game is also a homecoming for Michigan’s Morez Johnson who returns to Illinois for the first time since transferring from the program after last season.
Expect a physical game especially on the glass between two of the nation’s top-ranked teams.
KenPom has Michigan ranked second in the country while Illinois is ranked No. 4. The Net also ranks the Wolverines at No. 2 and the Ilini at No. 4. Michigan has a record of 11-1 in Quad 1 games and 9-1 in Quad 2 contests. Illinois is 8-5 in Quad 1 affairs and 6-1 in Quad 2 games.
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Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Game Details and How to Watch Live: No. 2 Michigan at No. 6 Illinois
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Date: Friday, February 27, 2026
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Game Odds: No. 2 Michigan at No. 6 Illinois
The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings:
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Moneyline: Michigan Wolverines (-142), Illinois Fighting Illini (+120)
This game opened Michigan -1.5 with the Total set at 156.5.
Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NCAA Basketball schedule!
Expected Starting Lineups: No. 2 Michigan at No. 6 Illinois
Michigan Wolverines
Illinois Fighting Illini
Injury Report: Michigan at Illinois
Michigan Wolverines
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Winters Grady (undisclosed) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
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Ricky Liburd (redshirt) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Illinois Fighting Illini
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Ty Rodgers (knee) is listed as questionable for tonight’s game
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Jason Jakstys (undisclosed) has been declared OUT for tonight’s game
Important stats, trends and insights: No. 2 Michigan at No. 6 Illinois
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Illinois is 13-2 at home this season
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Michigan is 9-0 on the road this season (they did lose on a neutral court to Duke)
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Michigan is 14-14 ATS overall this season / 3-6 ATS on the road
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Illinois is 16-12 ATS overall this season / 8-7 ATS at home
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The OVER has cashed in 11 of Michigan’s 28 games this season (11-17)
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The OVER has cashed in 11 of Illinois’ 28 games this season (11-17)
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Illinois has won 9 in a row against Michigan and is 8-2 in their last 10 ATS against the Wolverines
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Illinois is ranked 8th in the nation in rebounding averaging 41.2 per game
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Michigan is ranked 9th in the nation in rebounding averaging 40.9 per game
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s game between Michigan and Illinois:
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Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on Michigan on the Moneyline
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Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on Michigan -1.5 ATS
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Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 158.5.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
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Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
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Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
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Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
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Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)
