Minnesota vs Illinois injury report and predictions, February 28: Latest on Max Williams and more

The Minnesota Golden Gophers (17-10, 8-8 Big Ten) will play the second game of a back-to-back road trip when they visit the No. 13 Illinois Fighting Illini (20-7, 11-5) on Wednesday. This conference matchup will tipoff at 9 p.m. EST on BTN Live from the State Farm Center in Champaign, IL.

The Golden Gophers are coming off a disappointing performance in a 73-55 loss against Nebraska on Sunday. The 13th-ranked Illini have won three of their last four games, including a 95-85 victory at home over Iowa on Saturday.

Minnesota vs. Illinois basketball injuries

Both teams will enter this matchup close to full strength. Illinois is the only team with a player listed on the injury report, with just one.

Max Williams, Illinois

Senior guard Max Williams is questionable for Wednesday's matchup with an undisclosed injury. He has missed the last two games for the Illini with this injury.

Williams received limited minutes as a deep bench player for the team and hasn't seen any playing time since Feb. 13 in a blowout win against Michigan. The DePaul transfer has appeared in just eight games this season and averages 0.3 points and 0.3 assists.

Minnesota vs. Illinois predictions

Illinois enters this matchup as heavy 11.5-point favorites with the over/under set at 154.5, according to ESPN BET.

Although Minnesota has held its own against top opponents like Purdue and Wisconsin, it still lacks a win against a ranked opponent. The team in seventh place in the Big Ten will have a huge opportunity to knock off its first ranked opponent and shake up the Big Ten standings.

The Golden Gophers are led by junior forward and Minnesota native Dawson Garcia, who averages 17.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists this season. He shoots a 46.5% clip from the field but has struggled from deep, shooting just 31.9% from 3, the worst in his career.

If the Gophers hope to upset the Illini, they'll need to lean on Garcia, along with impressive freshman guard Cam Christie and junior guard Mike Mitchell Jr. They'll also need a better offensive output than they received against Nebraska when they tallied just 55 points, their lowest point total of the season.

Illinois will need this matchup as Wisconsin and No. 2 Purdue are on its schedule before the team closes out the regular season against Iowa on March 10.

The Illini are led by outstanding senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr., who has been a scoring machine this season. Shannon ranks ninth in the nation in scoring, averaging 21.6 points per game. He has hit the 30-point scoring mark four times this season, most recently on Feb. 21 against Penn State.

The Illini are the second team in the Big Ten standings, behind only Purdue. Although they may not catch the Boilermakers, they'll look to finish the regular season strong and carry that momentum into the Big Ten Tournament.

This game is Illinois' to lose, but the point spread is considerably wide. Even when Minnesota loses, the Gophers keep the games close and give themselves a chance. The Illini should win, but the spread is too wide to take that bet.

Prediction: Minnesota to cover +11.5 points