Bailey scored 24 of his 37 points in the first half as Rutgers picked up a rare road win 79-72 over Northwestern.

Despite (or maybe because of) their unpredictability, the Illini went back to some old standbys to best the Wildcats on Sunday

The bloom is off the rose for these Illini (14-6, 6-4 Big Ten), who went from being underrated by the college basketball illuminati early this season to now arguably underperforming as the expectations around them have risen. The climb up the mountain, as always, gets harder with every subsequent step toward the top.

It was the Illini's ninth straight win at State Farm Center against the Wildcats, who haven't swept a season series since 1966.

Analyzing Sunday’s Northwestern at Illinois odds and lines, with college basketball expert picks, predictions and best bets.

The Northwestern Wildcats (12-7, 3-5 Big Ten) hope to break a three-game road losing streak when they visit the Illinois Fighting Illini (13-6, 5-4 Big Ten) on Sunday, January 26, 2025 at 3:00 PM

Find out the Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Nebraska Husker basketball game betting odds, over/under and point spread for Thursday, Jan. 30.

In his 12th season at the helm for Northwestern, Chris Collins has yet to crack the code at the State Farm Center. The last time the Wildcats (12-8, 3-6 Big Ten) visited Illinois, they were handed a 96-66 blowout — their largest defeat of the 2023-24 season.

Northwestern was just 3 of 18 and never got closer than seven points in the last 10 minutes, as the 'Cats' NCAA Tournament hopes took a hit.

The Illinois basketball team is coming off a big win over Northwestern this past Sunday. It was nice to see the Illini give a little payback to the Wildcats aft

What to know to watch the Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Nebraska Husker basketball via TV and online live stream plus game time on Thursday, Jan. 30.