Indiana Modest Underdog to Illinois in Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinal on Friday
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana pulled off an upset of Michigan on Thursday, and now comes top-seeded Illinois, the Hoosiers' opponent Friday in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
The Hoosiers expended a lot of energy in their dramatic comeback win over Michigan, and this is the first time all year that they'll play on back-to-back days, so it will be interesting to see what's left in the tank, especially against an Illinois team that had a double-bye through to the quarters.
The oddsmakers think that might be a factor in the game, with starts at 11:30 a.m. ET. According to the SISportsbook.com gambling website, Illinois is a 5-point favorite.
The Hoosiers are 19-12 overall and the No. 9 seed in the event. They beat Michigan 74-69 on Thursday in the second round, a win that more than likely puts them in the NCAA Tournament. It was revenge, too, for an 80-62 loss in Bloomington in late January.
The Hoosiers also lost to Illinois in Bloomington, falling 74-57 on Feb. 5, and would love to get revenge for that loss, too. The Hoosiers were actually 1.5-point favorites in the game, but got outscored 40-21 in the second half.
Indiana is 17-14 against the point spread this season, but have been much better in Bloomington than on the road. The Hoosiers are 14-4 at home straight up and 12-6 vs. the spread at Assembly Hall. On the road, Indiana is just 3-8 straight up and 3-8 against the spread.
But they have won and covered in their their two neutral court games this season in Indianapolis, beating NCAAA-bound Notre Dame and now Michigan. Is there more magic for the underdog?
Here are Indiana's results thus far this season, both straight up and against the spread:
- Nov. 9 — Beat Eastern Michigan 68-62 as a 24-point favorite (lost)
- Nov. 12 — Beat Northern Illinois 85-49 as a 25.5-point favorite (won)
- Nov. 17 — Beat St. John's 76-74 as a 6-point favorite (lost)
- Nov. 21 — Beat Louisiana 76-44 as an 11.5-point favorite (won)
- Nov. 23 — Beat Jackson State 70-35 as a 22.5-point favorite (won)
- Nov. 27 — Beat Marshall 90-79 as a 10.5-point favorite (won)
- Nov. 30 — Lost at Syracuse 112-110 as a 2.5-point favorite (lost)
- Dec. 4 — Beat Nebraska 68-55 as an 11-point favorite (won)
- Dec. 8 — Lost at No. 22 Wisconsin 64-59 as a 4.5-point underdog (lost)
- Dec. 12 — Beat Merrimack 81-49 as a 20-point favorite (won)
- Dec. 18 — Beat Notre Dame 64-56 in Indianapolis as a 4.5-point favorite (won)
- Dec. 22 — Beat Northern Kentucky 79-61 as a 17-point favorite (won)
- Jan. 2 — Lost at Penn State 61-58 as a 2.5-point favorite (lost)
- Jan. 6 — Beat No. 13 Ohio State 67-51 as a 2-point favorite (won)
- Jan. 9 — Beat Minnesota 73-60 as an 11-point favorite (won)
- Jan. 13 — Lost at Iowa 83-74 as a 4.5-point underdog (lost)
- Jan. 17 — Won at Nebraska 78-71 as a 9-point favorite (lost)
- Jan. 20 — Beat No. 4 Purdue 68-65 as a 4-point underdog (won)
- Jan. 23 — Lost to Michigan 80-62 as a 4-point favorite (lost)
- Jan. 26 — Beat Penn State 74-57 as an 8.5-point favorite (won)
- Jan. 29 — Won at Maryland 68-55 as a 1.5-point favorite (won)
- Feb. 5 — Lost to No. 18 Illinois 74-57 as a 1.5-point favorite (lost)
- Feb. 8 — Lost at Northwestern 59-51 as a 2-point favorite (lost)
- Feb. 12 — Lost at No. 17 Michigan State 76-61 as a 4-point underdog (lost)
- Feb. 15 — Lost to No. 15 Wisconsin 74-69 as a 3.5-point favorite (lost)
- Feb. 21 — Lost at No. 22 Ohio State 80-69 in OT as a 7-point underdog (lost)
- Feb. 24 — Beat Maryland 74-64 as a 6.5-point favorite (won)
- Feb. 27 — Won at Minnesota 74-69 as a 3-point favorite (won)
- March 2 — Lost to Rutgers 66-63 as a 5.5-point favorite (lost)
- March 5 — Lost at Purdue 69-67 as a 10-point underdog (won)
- March 10 — Beat Michigan 74-69 in Indianapolis as as 3-point underdog (won)
Illinois is 22-8 overall and finished as co-champions in the Big Ten with a 15-5 record.
The Illini are 12-18 against the spread all season. In Big Ten road games, they are 6-4 straight up, but just 4-6 against the spread. They were just 2-6 against the spread since the win at Indiana.
Here's what Illinois has done so far this season:
- Nov. 9 — Beat Jackson State 71-47 as a 24.5-point favorite (lost)
- Nov. 12 — Beat Arkansas State 92-53 as a 17-point favorite (won)
- Nov. 15 — Lost at Marquette 67-66 as an 8-point favorite (lost)
- Nov. 22 — Lost to Cincinnati 71-51 in the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Mo. as a 9.5-point favorite (lost)
- Nov. 23 — Beat Kansas State 72-64 in the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Mo. as a 9.5-point favorite (lost)as an 12-point favorite (lost)
- Nov. 26 — Beat UT-Rio Grande Valley 94-85 as a 26.5-point favorite (lost)
- Nov. 29 — Beat Notre Dame 82-72 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge as a 4.5-point favorite (won)
- Dec. 3 — Beat Rutgers 86-51 as a 9.5-point favorite (won)
- Dec. 7 — Won at Iowa 87-83 as a 3.5-point underdog (won)
- Dec. 11 — Lost to Arizona 83-79 as a 2.5-point underdog (lost)
- Dec. 18 —Beat St. Francis (Pa.) 106-48 as a 22.5-point favorite (won)
- Dec. 22 — Beat Missouri 88-63 in St. Louis, Mo., as a 14.5-point favorite (won)
- Jan. 4— Won at Minnesota 76-53 as a 6.5-point favorite (won)
- Jan. 6 — Beat Maryland 76-64 as a 13.5-point favorite (lost)
- Jan. 11 — Won at Nebraska 81-71 as a 12.5-point favorite (lost)
- Jan. 14 — Beat Michigan 68-53 as a 115.5-point favorite (won)
- Jan. 17 —Lost to Purdue 96-88 in 2-OT as as 1.5-point favorite (lost)
- Jan, 21— Lost at Maryland 81-65 as as 4.5-point favorite (lost)
- Jan. 25 — Beat Michigan State 56-55 as a 3.5-point favorite (lost)
- Jan. 29 — Won at Northwestern 59-56 as a 5.5-point favorite (lost)
- Feb. 2— Beat Wisconsin 80-67 as a 7.5-point underdog (won)
- Feb. 5 — Won at Indiana 74-57 as a 1.5-point underdog (won)
- Feb. 8 — Lost at No. 3 Purdue 84-68 as a 5.5-point underdog (lost)
- Feb. 13 — Beat Northwestern 73-66 as a 11.5-point favorite (lost)
- Feb. 16 — Lost at Rutgers 70-59 as a 4-point favorite (lost)
- Feb. 19 — Won at No. 19 Michigan State 79-74 as a 2.5-point favorite (won)
- Feb. 24 — Lost at No. 22 Ohio State 86-83 as a 7-point favorite (lost)
- Feb. 27 — Won at Michigan 93-85 as a 1-point favorite (won)
- March 3 — Beat Penn State 60-55 as a 12-point favorite (lost)
- March 6 — Beat No. 24 Iowa 74-72 as a 4.5-point favorite (lost)
Related stories on Indiana basketball
- INDIANA BEATS MICHIGAN: Left for dead and on the verge of getting blown out, Indiana was on an unprecedented 28-4 run and came back to beat Michigan 74-69 in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday, likely securing its first NCAA Tournament berth in six years. CLICK HERE
- LIVE BLOG: Relive all of the play-by-play in real time in Indiana's dramatic 74-69 comeback victory over Michigan on Thursday. CLICK HERE
- PHOTO GALLERY: Peek inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 30 photos from Indiana's 74-69 win over Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday afternoon. CLICK HERE
- WHAT JACKSON-DAVIS AND JOHNSON SAID: Forward Trayce Jackson-Davis scored 19 of his 24 points in the second half making Indiana's 74-69 win over Michigan a true comeback game in the Big Ten Tournament. Here's what Jackson-Davis and point guard Xavier Johnson said following the win. Read their whole transcript, or watch the attached video of the entire press conference. CLICK HERE
- WHAT WOODSON SAID: Indiana head coach Mike Woodson led his team to a comeback 74-69 win over Michigan in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. Here's what Woodson had to say in a post game press conference. Read his full transcript, or just watch the attached video. CLICK HERE
- TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE: Indiana and Iowa claimed second-round victories on Thursday afternoon, advancing to Friday's quarterfinals. Michigan State and Penn State won on Friday night. Here is the updated Big Ten Tournament schedule, with gametimes, TV and more. CLICK HERE
