Illinois is healthier teams even though the Wildcats got Lamont Butler back last game. Kentucky will want to push the pace but the Fighting Illini back the ability to run with them. Illinois will have to control the glass as the Wildcats aren’t the strongest rebounding team, especially offensively. They’ve also been the more consistent team defensively and the better free throw shooting team.

These are high-scoring teams, but will Illinois shoot 3 ball that well again? Hmm. Poor road/neutral shooting all season. This is 2nd highest total for ILL all season and KY, playing wild games in SEC, played only 4 games that closed higher. ILL 6-6 O/U outside Big 10. KY 4-2 under in neutral setting. Unders were 13-3 Fri and tend to be the play this time of year. Expect these teams to feel each other out early. Nerves will lead to missed shots. 2 of last 21 ILL games are over this total - they allowed Iowa to score 94 and Duke to score 110 to put those games over 170. Three of last 12 and 4 of last 16 KY games are over this.