The Big Ten showdown has the Michigan Wolverines (8-16) and the No. 14 Illinois Fighting Illini (17-6) squaring off on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. The Fighting Illini are 16-point favorites in the latest Michigan vs. Illinois odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 154 (see up-to-date odds for every game this week on our college basketball odds page). 

Before making any Michigan vs. Illinois picks, you need to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters Week 15 of the 2023-24 season on a 131-88 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $2,500 for $100 players. It is also off to a sizzling 24-12 start on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen HUGE returns!

The model knows Illinois senior forward Marcus Domask has been a consistent playmaker. Domask can pile up points in the post and finishes through contract with ease. The Wisconsin native leads the team in both points (15.5) and assists (3.4). On Feb. 4, he tallied 19 points and five assists.

The model also knows Michigan senior forward Olivier Nkamhoua is an athletic presence. Nkamhoua isn't afraid to bang down low to secure rebounds and does a good job driving down the lane. The Finland native leads the team in rebounds (7.4) with 15 points per game. In the Feb. 3 loss to Rutgers, he had 14 points and six rebounds. 

Now, the model has set its sights on Michigan vs. Illinois. We can tell you the model is leaning Under on the point total, and it also says one side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time! 

Who wins Michigan vs. Illinois, and which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the spread you should be all over, all from that's on a 24-12 roll on top-rated college basketball spread picks!