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Teams in the hunt for a Big Ten Conference regular-season championship clash on Saturday when the 18th-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini battle the Indiana Hoosiers. The Fighting Illini (16-5, 9-2) sit atop the conference, but five other teams are within two games or less of Illinois. The Hoosiers (16-5, 7-4), who are two games back in the standings, are tough to beat at home, going 13-1 there this season. Indiana has not lost back-to-back games at home to the Fighting Illini since 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons.

The game from Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind., is scheduled to tip off at noon ET. Illinois is averaging 77.3 points per game, while Indiana averages 73.7. This game is listed as a pick'em in the latest Illinois vs. Indiana odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 137. Before making any Indiana vs. Illinois picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,400 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Illinois vs. Indiana, and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Indiana vs. Illinois:

  • Illinois vs. Indiana spread: Pick'em
  • Illinois vs. Indiana over-under: 137 points
  • Illinois vs. Indiana money line: Indiana -110, Illinois -110
  • ILL: The Fighting Illini are 6-2 against the spread in their last eight Saturday games
  • IND: The Hoosiers are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 home games

Why Indiana can cover 

Junior guard Xavier Johnson has had a hot hand of late, reaching double-figure scoring in three of his last four games, including a 19-point performance against Penn State on Jan. 26. Johnson, who began his collegiate career at Pittsburgh, is averaging 10.5 points, 4.5 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. He has scored 1,373 points in his career, and is coming off an eight-point, three-rebound and season-high-tying nine assist game at Maryland. He has reached double-figure scoring in 10 games this season.

Senior forward Miller Kopp has enjoyed a lot of success against Illinois throughout his career. As a member of the Northwestern Wildcats, Kopp scored in double figures in four of seven games against the Fighting Illini, shooting 57.1 percent from 3-point range in the last three games. In 21 games this season for the Hoosiers, Kopp is averaging 6.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.1 assists. He is also connecting on 91.3 percent of his free throws.

Why Illinois can cover

The Fighting Illini have four players scoring in double figures, led by junior center Kofi Cockburn, who is averaging a double-double per game with 22.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. In the win over Wisconsin, Cockburn poured in 37 points on 16 of 19 shooting from the floor, while pulling down 12 rebounds. It was his 12th double-double of the season. He has 40 in his career and is just one away from the Illinois record set by Skip Thoren from 1963-65. Cockburn is one of just two players nationally averaging at least 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Senior guard Alfonso Plummer has reached double-figure scoring in 14 games, including a season-high 30 points in a 94-85 win over Rio Grande Valley on Nov. 26. For the year, he is averaging 15.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists, and is a 93.2 percent free-throw shooter. Plummer also connects on 40.4 percent of his 3-pointers. He leads the Big Ten and is ranked No. 28 nationally in 3-pointers per game at 3.0.

How to make Illinois vs. Indiana picks

SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting 140 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in almost 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the model's picks at SportsLine. 

So who wins Indiana vs. Illinois? And which side of the spread hits in almost 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up over $2,400 on its top-rated college basketball picks the last five years, and find out.