Duke vs. Illinois Prediction, Expert Picks & Odds: Our Best Bets for Tonight
The third-ranked Duke Blue Devils are huge favorites over the Illinois Fighting Illini in tonight’s ACC vs. Big Ten matchup.
Our Duke vs. Illinois prediction and odds look at tonight’s 8 p.m. ET (FOX) game at Madison Square Garden. The Blue Devils are favored by 8.5 at DraftKings and BetMGM, though the spread is as high as 9.5 at some of our best March Madness betting sites.
Duke enters the contest with a 23-3 record. The Blue Devils have won 19 of their last 20 games, with their most recent three wins coming by at least 18 points. Meanwhile, the Fighting Illini have won just one of their last five away from home, though they’re 2-1 in neutral-site games this season. Read on to see our analysis of the highly-anticipated contest.
Duke vs. Illinois predictions, expert picks & best bets today
Here are my best Duke vs. Illinois predictions, picks, and best bets tonight with my pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale. Be sure to check out the rest of our college basketball picks along with our guide on how to bet on college basketball.
- Against the spread pick: Duke -8.5 (-112 via DraftKings) vs. Illinois⭐⭐⭐⭐
- My best player prop bet: Cooper Flagg Over 7.5 rebounds (-110 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Duke vs. Illinois ATS pick & score prediction
The Blue Devils have beaten up a weak ACC this season, but they also have one of the most impressive non-conference wins, as they defeated the Auburn Tigers in December. Though the Fighting Illini have played good teams tough and have a win over Wisconsin, I'm predicting Duke will cover the spread (-8.5).
🏀 Duke to cover the spread: -8.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Blue Devils have won 19 of their last 20 games, but they’ve only faced one ranked opponent during that span. While that matchup resulted in a victory over the current No. 1 team in the country, Auburn, it occurred back on Dec. 4. Is there a chance that the Blue Devils have lucked out with an easy schedule?
While it’s possible, I don’t believe the Fighting Illini are good enough to give the Blue Devils a run for their money. While they’re averaging over 80 points per game, they’ve struggled defensively, allowing more than 72 per contest. In their last two games, they’ve faced two ranked opponents, and they scored 74 or fewer in each of those outings.
The Blue Devils are only allowing 60.8 points per game, and while a lot of that could come down to competition, they didn’t allow any of the three ranked teams they played this season to score more than 80.
Best odds: -112 via DraftKings (bet $10 to win $8.93)
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🎯 Final score prediction: Duke 85, Illinois 68
The Fighting Illini have allowed at least 74 points in 10 consecutive games. Meanwhile, the Blue Devils have scored at least 80 in four of their last six. Considering how consistent the Blue Devils’ defense has been, I expect the Fighting Illini to struggle offensively, which is the one area they’ve had success. That's why I'm predicting a final score of Duke 85, Illinois 68.
Correct score odds: +18000 via DraftKings (bet $10 to win $1,800)
Best Duke vs. Illinois player prop bet
Here is my best Duke vs. Illinois player prop bet tonight. You can also check out our NEW college basketball player prop odds tool for the latest college basketball odds on any market across legal sportsbooks in your region.
💰 Cooper Flagg Over 7.5 rebounds ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Flagg is coming off a massive 14-rebound effort game against the Virginia Cavaliers. In that contest, the Cavaliers shot just 38.5% from the field. While many bettors may expect Flagg to fall back to Earth against the sixth-highest-scoring team in the country, the Fighting Illini are knocking down just 44.8% of their field goals, which ranks 151st in the nation.
That said, the Fighting Illini rank second in the country in rebounds per game, and they’re 10th in offensive boards. But even if they pull down plenty of offensive rebounds in this one, the Blue Devils rank sixth in the country in opponent shooting percentage, so Flagg will have plenty of rebounding chances.
Flagg has pulled down exactly five rebounds in four of his last five. While this may alarm some, all it does is make this line more favorable. In a game with many missed shots, it would be surprising to see Flagg fail to clear his average of 7.7 per game.
Best odds: -110 via FanDuel (bet $10 to win $9.09)
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Duke vs. Illinois AI prediction
We asked ChatGPT, the popular chatbot from OpenAI, to offer its best AI prediction for Duke vs. Illinois tonight - including its pick to win and exact score prediction. ChatGPT is a large language model and is not specifically designed for sports betting predictions.
🤖 AI score prediction: Duke 85, Illinois 75
Duke is favored to win this matchup, and it's easy to see why. They come into the game with a stronger record and have been more consistent throughout the season. While Illinois has the potential for an upset, especially if they can impose their physicality, Duke’s depth, shooting, and defense should ultimately prove to be too much. Duke 85, Illinois 75
- Illinois' best chance might lie in trying to overpower Duke inside. If they can establish dominance in the paint and get Duke's big men into foul trouble, they could slow down Duke's fast-paced game.
- Illinois will likely need their bigs to step up and play well in the post. These players will be tasked with containing Duke's strong inside presence and trying to dominate the boards.
- Duke's defense has been tough to break down, and their ability to close out on shooters will be a critical factor.
Duke’s offense and defense are likely to control the game, but Illinois could keep it competitive if they capitalize on Duke’s potential cold streaks from deep.
📊 Live Duke vs. Illinois odds
Here are the latest odds for Duke vs. Illinois, which update in real time. You can also check out the rest of our NCAAB scores as they happen.
🔢 Duke vs. Illinois opening odds
Here's a look at the opening odds for Duke vs. Illinois according to BetMGM.
- Spread: Duke -9.5 (-105) | Illinois +9.5 (-115)
- Over/Under: Over 155.5 (-115) | Under 155.5 (-105)
- Moneyline: Duke -425 | Illinois +320
📺 How to watch Duke vs. Illinois tonight
📅 Date: Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025
🕗 Time: 8 p.m. ET
📍 Location: Madison Square Garden (New York)
📺 TV: FOX
💻 Streaming: Fox Sports, Fubo
❓ Duke vs. Illinois FAQs
Who is favored to win Duke vs. Illinois?
The Blue Devils are heavily favored, with their lowest moneyline set at -425 at our best sportsbooks, implying an 80.95% chance they win.
What are the odds for Duke vs. Illinois?
Depending on the sportsbook you visit, the Blue Devils are favored by between 8.5 and 9.5, and the total is set at 155.5 or 156.5.
What time is Duke vs. Illinois tonight?
The Duke vs. Illinois game will tip off tonight at 8 p.m. ET (FOX).
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