Illinois vs Penn State College Basketball Prediction, Odds, Picks, Best Bets for Jan. 3

The Illinois Fighting Illini (10-3, 1-1 Big Ten) hope to extend a three-game road winning streak when they visit the Penn State Nittany Lions (9-4, 0-2 Big Ten) on January 3, 2026.

Before you place your bet on this game at FanDuel Sportsbook, here are the NCAA basketball odds and spreads you need to know.

Illinois vs. Penn State Game Info and Odds

• Game day: Saturday, January 3, 2026
• Game time: 7 p.m. ET
• TV channel: Big Ten Network
• Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Arena: The Palestra

Illinois is a 14.5-point favorite over Penn State on Saturday and the over/under has been set at 156.5 points. Here's a few betting insights and trends if you are planning on making a wager on the matchup.

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Illinois vs. Penn State: ATS Betting Stats and Trends

• Illinois has compiled an 8-5-0 record against the spread this season.
• Penn State has covered four times in 13 matchups with a spread this year.
• Illinois covers the spread when it is a 14.5-point favorite or more 66.7% of the time. That's more often than Penn State covers as an underdog of 14.5 or more (never covered this season).
• The Fighting Illini sported a better record against the spread at home (10-7-0) than they did on the road (5-5-0) last season.
• Last season, the Nittany Lions were 8-9-0 at home against the spread (.471 winning percentage). On the road, they were 6-4-0 ATS (.600).

Illinois vs. Penn State: Moneyline Betting Stats

• Illinois has won in five of the seven contests it has been named as the moneyline favorite in this year.
• The Fighting Illini have been listed as a favorite of -1695 or more on two occasions this season and won both games.
• Penn State has lost all three of the games it has been the moneyline underdog this season.
• The Nittany Lions have yet to play a game with moneyline odds of +890 or longer.
• The moneyline set for this matchup implies Illinois has a 94.4% chance of coming away with a victory in the contest.

Illinois vs. Penn State Head-to-Head Comparison

• Last season, Illinois was ninth-best in the country offensively (83.6 points scored per game) and ranked 263rd on defense (74.8 points allowed).
• Illinois was the best squad in the country in rebounds per game (39.7) and ranked 104th in rebounds allowed (30.1) last season.
• Illinois was 83rd in the nation in assists (14.9 per game) last season.
• In terms of turnovers, Illinois was 215th in college basketball in committing them (11.4 per game) last year. It was second-worst in forcing them (8.5 per game).
• Penn State was 54th in the country last season with 79.1 points per game. At the other end, it ranked 213th with 73.2 points allowed per game.
• Penn State was 261st in college basketball with 30.7 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, it ranked 129th with 30.4 rebounds allowed per game.
• Last season Penn State ranked 39th in college basketball in assists, delivering 16 per game.
• Penn State committed 12 turnovers per game (259th-ranked in college basketball) this season, while forcing 13.2 turnovers per contest (46th-ranked).

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