The second-seeded Illinois Fighting Illini will look to earn their fourth Big Ten Tournament championship and first since 2021 when they take on the fifth-seeded Wisconsin Badgers on Sunday. The Badgers (22-12, 11-9 Big Ten), who have won four of five, including three in a row, upset top-seeded Purdue 76-75 in overtime in Saturday’s semifinal. The Fighting Illini (25-8, 14-6 Big Ten), who have won six of seven, including three straight, rallied to a 98-87 win over Nebraska in the other semifinal. 

Tip-off from the Target Center in Minneapolis is set for 3:30 p.m. ET. The Fighting Illini are 3.5-point favorites in the latest Wisconsin vs. Illinois odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 148. Before making any Illinois vs. Wisconsin picks, check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Zack Cimini.

A Las Vegas handicapper who’s never afraid to buck conventional wisdom, Zack excels in multiple sports. All-time in MLB, Zack sports a record of 690-604, returning $3,327 to $100 bettors. Entering the 2023-24 college basketball season, Zack was 423-375, returning $1,331 to $100 players. Zack appears regularly on “The Early Edge,” SportsLine’s popular daily betting show. Anyone following him has seen huge returns.

Now, Cimini has his sights on Wisconsin vs. Illinois. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the college basketball lines and trends for Illinois vs. Wisconsin:

• Wisconsin vs. Illinois spread: Illinois -3.5
• Wisconsin vs. Illinois over/under: 148 points
• Wisconsin vs. Illinois money line: Wisconsin +140, Illinois -167
• WIS: The Badgers are 15-17-2 against the spread this season
• ILL: The Fighting Illini are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games
• Wisconsin vs. Illinois picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Illinois can cover

Senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr. has helped carry the Illini to the title game. He poured in a season-high 40 points in the win over Nebraska on Saturday, adding two rebounds and two steals. He had 28 points, three rebounds and three assists in a 77-74 win over Ohio State in the quarterfinals a day earlier. He has three double-doubles this year, including a 35-point and 11-rebound effort in a 90-89 loss at Penn State on Feb. 21. In 26 games, including 25 starts, Shannon is averaging 21.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and one block in 34 minutes.

Also powering the Fighting Illini is senior forward Marcus Domask. The Wisconsin native had 16 points, eight assists and seven rebounds against the Cornhuskers on Saturday. In the regular-season meeting against the Badgers, Domask poured in 31 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out three assists in 35 minutes. He has reached double-digit scoring in 25 games, and has registered three double-doubles. See which team to pick here.

Why Wisconsin can cover

After starting the season as one of the best teams in the country, the Badgers hit the skids in February, going 3-8 from Feb. 1 through March 10. Since then, however, Wisconsin has looked like its early-season self. One of the reasons has been the play of sophomore guard AJ Storr. He poured in 30 points and grabbed six rebounds in a 70-61 win over Northwestern in Friday’s quarterfinals, and added 20 points and six boards in a 76-75 overtime win over Purdue on Saturday. 

Also powering the Badgers is junior forward Steven Crowl. In three games this tournament, he has reached double-digit scoring in each, including a 19-point, seven-rebound and three-assist effort in the quarterfinal win over the Wildcats. He had 17 points, three boards and two assists in an 87-56 second-round win over Maryland. In 33 games, all starts, Crowl is averaging 11.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and two assists in 28.7 minutes. See which team to pick here.

How to make Wisconsin vs. Illinois picks

Cimini has analyzed Illinois vs. Wisconsin and while we can tell you he’s leaning Under the point total, he has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He’s sharing what it is, and which side to back, only at SportsLine.

Who wins Illinois vs. Wisconsin, and which critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Wisconsin vs. Illinois spread hits hard, all from the expert who entered the 2023-24 season up more than $1,300 on his college basketball picks, and find out.