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No. 18 Purdue (21-9, 13-6 Big Ten) will try to improve its position for the Big Ten Tournament when it faces Illinois Fighting Illini (19-11, 11-8) on Friday night at State Farm Center. This is the first and only time these teams will meet during the regular season.
Purdue is currently tied for third place in the Big Ten with Wisconsin and Maryland. The Boilermakers struggled in February, losing four straight games, but they have bounced back with wins over UCLA and Rutgers.
Illinois also have two straight wins heading into this game, beating Iowa and No. 15 Michigan. The Fighting Illini are now tied with Oregon for seventh place in the conference.
A win for Purdue would see them finish 14-6 in the Big Ten regular, enough to become the No. 4 seed for the Big Ten Tournament. However, a loss will see the Boilermakers slip out of the double bye, unless Northwestern picks up an unexpected win against Maryland.
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For llini, even with a loss they will still clinch No. 8 seed, but a win could elevate them to the No. 6 seed, improving their path in the conference tournament.
Illinois vs Purdue prediction
Both teams head into the game in good form and will likely both feel it is there for the taking.
However, the Illini have not always turned up at home, losing to Big Ten bottom side USC in January and Michigan State more recently.
Purdue have also been quite average on the road and has lost their three outings on the opposition's court, but they still tend to produce shocking wins like they did at Ducks.
We expect a tight game, but we are leaning a bit toward Purdue for this one.
Prediction: Illinois 71, Purdue 72
Illinois vs Purdue odds
Illinois vs Purdue head-to-head
Purdue leads the all-time series 107-90 vs. Illinois basketball and has also won seven of their last 10 games against the Illini.
Illinois vs Purdue Injury Report
Illinois has Morez Johnson out with a wrist injury, while Ty Rodgers is sidelined with a redshirt.
For Purdue, Daniel Jacobsen is the only casualty as he has been out with a knee issue since November.
How to watch Illinois vs Purdue?
Date: Friday, March 7, 2025
Venue: State Farm Center
City: Champaign, IL
Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Radio: Purdue Radio Network
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