On Wednesday night, the No. 25 Illinois Fighting Illini will take on the No. 8 Alabama Crimson Tide in a big early-season clash.
Alabama hopes to bounce back from a tough road loss to the Purdue Boilermakers, while a new Fighting Illini team looks to get off to a hot 4-0 start.
Which team has the advantage in this Top 25 matchup?
Illinois vs Alabama odds
| team | spread | money line | total |
|---|---|---|---|
| illinois | +8.5 (-110) | +290 | o167 (-110) |
| Alabama | -8.5 (-110) | -370 | u167 (-110) |
Illinois vs Alabama predictions
When Mark Sears announced his return to Tuscaloosa in the offseason, it was clear that the Alabama Crimson Tide was poised for another year of success.
Sears joins Latrell Lightsell Jr., Jalin Stevenson, Grant Nelson and Mo Diubatte as key returners from the 2023-24 team that reached the Final Four.
Since then, Bama has acquired even more talent via transfers, including Aiden Holloway, Cliff Omoruyi, Chris Youngblood, and five-star big men Derion Reed and fringe five-star Aiden Sherrell and LaBaron.・New players such as Philon were added.
Meanwhile, Illinois has undergone massive roster turnover, losing last year's top eight players to graduation, the transfer portal, and even the NBA.
Still, the Fighting Illini brought enough talent, especially in the frontcourt, to be a Big Ten contender.
Expect a fast-paced and heated match between two elite attacking teams.
However, Bama is a much stronger and deeper team and will go hard on Illinois and a frontcourt-heavy roster to come away with a big double-digit win.
Illinois vs. Alabama picks
If this game had been played last season, the Fighting Illini would have been in a much better position to sneak a road win, but that wasn't the case.
Adding Omoruyi, a glass-crushing, rim-protecting big man, to Alabama's frontcourt will make a huge difference in games like this.
Last year, the Crimson Tide had to rely on Grant Nelson to play five-man play, which wasn't his natural position.
Instead, they often struggle to protect the paint and grab a decent number of rebounds, resulting in the team ranking 253rd in defensive rebound percentage, 111th in adjusted defensive efficiency (KenPom), and opposing 2-point percentage. Ranked 197th.
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This season's team has slightly less floor spacing overall, with one less 3-point shooter on the court at any given time (Omoruyi is less of a threat from deep and Nelson is more of a streak from the 3-point line), but , Bama is in much better shape. They are now in a position to beat a team with a dominant frontcourt like Illinois.
We should see the Crimson Tide, who ranks 17th in adjusted tempo, tip the scales in terms of speed and transition, making it a fast-paced game that ultimately works in their favor.
Additionally, a positive regression in shooting should be expected after generating an abundant number of open 3-point attempts in the game against Purdue. Their shots simply weren't falling.
They will support Alabama at home, which will be the perfect bounce-back spot.
The Pick: Alabama -8.5 (-110, bet 365)
Why trust New York Post Betting?
Andrew Norton has handicapped the NBA, WNBA, NFL, College Basketball, Football, UFC, and Golf. During the 2022-23 NBA season, he delivered an outstanding ROI of 14.1%, cashed in 60% of his NBA spread picks, and led Tallysight in SportsIQ metrics.
