The stars will be out on Friday night for a top-ten matchup between the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines (26-2) and the No. 10 Illinois Fighting Illini (22-6).
Plenty will be at stake for the 8:00 p.m. ET start on FOX, as Michigan would clinch an outright Big Ten regular-season title with a win. Who could step up under the spotlight?
Let’s circle three players for our Michigan vs. Illinois picks for PrizePicks on Friday, February 27.
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Michigan vs. Illinois Picks for PrizePicks Today
Bart Torvik ranks Michigan fourth in adjusted offensive efficiency, while Illinois leads college basketball in the metric. Both teams are locked and loaded with plenty of scoring talent. How does this translate to player picks for PrizePicks?
Michigan G L.J. Cason vs. Illinois Projection: 1.5 3-Pointers Made
- Illinois ranks in the 32nd percentile of 3-point shot distribution allowed, giving up 8.4 made triples per game (25th percentile).
- Cason shoots 40.0% from beyond the arc, and he’s made 13-of-24 treys (54.2%) over his last seven games.
- Over the previous seven matchups, the sophomore guard has recorded 1.9 made 3-pointers per contest.
Michigan F Morez Johnson Jr. vs. Illinois Projection: 6.5 Rebounds
- The Fighting Illini carry a 74.3% defensive rebounding rate (82nd percentile), while UM boasts a 35.2% offensive rebounding rate (95th percentile).
- Johnson tops the Wolverines with a 12.5% offensive rebounding percentage, ranking eighth in the Big Ten.
- The former Illinois forward logged 8.0 rebounds per game (RPG) over his last nine games.
- After reaching at least seven boards in five of his past seven outings, Johnson could do some serious damage on the offensive glass.
Illinois G Keaton Wagler vs. Michigan Projection: 16.5 Points
- Despite ranking second in Bart Torvik’s adjusted defensive efficiency, Michigan is vulnerable on the perimeter by surrendering 26.9 3-point shots per game (eighth percentile).
- Illinois totals 31.6 attempted treys per matchup (98th percentile), and Wagler leads the charge with 5.8 attempted triples per appearance.
- The freshman guard is racking up a gaudy 22.9 points per game (PPG) in his last nine games, surpassing his 18.2 PPG season average.
- Wagler’s increase in scoring has been paired with 6.5 3-point attempts per game in the split. The 6’6” guard cashed in 27 of his last 58 triples (46.6%).
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Make Michigan vs. Illinois Picks on PrizePicks
With each defense struggling to guard the 3-point line, Friday’s game features a high 157.5 total. This provides an angle for point player picks to flourish on PrizePicks. Cason and Wagler are 3-point specialists who could thrive with favorable matchups from deep.
You can make your Michigan vs. Illinois picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 34 states.
Keep tabs on the Playbook for continued College Basketball predictions, picks, and news.
