The Alabama Crimson Tide take on the Illinois Fighting Illini in Chicago, IL. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
Illinois is favored by -2.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -155. The total is set at 180.5 points.
Here’s my Alabama vs. Illinois predictions and college basketball picks for November 19, 2025.
Alabama vs Illinois Prediction
My Pick: Over 179.5
My Alabama vs Illinois best bet is on the over. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Alabama vs. Illinois Odds, Spread
| Alabama Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -110 | 180.5 -110o / -110u | +130 |
| Illinois Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -110 | 180.5 -110o / -110u | -155 |
Alabama vs Illinois NCAAB Betting Preview
Alabama Basketball
One thing Nate Oats can't be accused of is putting together a light non-conference schedule. The Crimson Tide already have a road win over St. John's and they still have games against Gonzaga, UNLV, a TBD opponent in the Players Era Festival, Clemson and Arizona over the next few weeks.
Last time out, they fell 87-80 at home to Purdue, and they'll take on another Big Ten foe when they face Illinois in Chicago on Wednesday.
Alabama lost one of its best players in program history when Mark Sears moved on, but it's not lacking for talent in the backcourt.
Sophomore Labaron Philon Jr. is averaging 19.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and six assists per game. Junior Aden Holloway averaged 11.4 points per game last season, and he's scored 21 points in each of his first two games while knocking down seven 3s.
With Grant Nelson moving on, Oats went to the portal again and landed Taylor Bol Bowen. The Florida State transfer is averaging 12.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. At 6-foot-10, he offers a lot of two-way versatility with his ability to stretch the floor and protect the rim.
As has been the case over the last few years, Alabama wants to get up and down and shoot a ton of 3s. The Tide are fourth in adjusted tempo and 24th in average possession length offensively.
Over half of their field goal attempts this season have been 3s, but thus far, they've made just 33% of them. While Alabama is getting 38% of its points from beyond the arc, it's converting 63% of its 2-point attempts, which ranks 19th in Division 1.
The Crimson Tide has also protected the ball well, but they haven't forced many turnovers defensively. Thus far, it ranks 54th in adjusted defensive efficiency.
Illinois Basketball
Illinois has been dominant in wins over Jackson State, Florida Gulf Coast and Colgate, scoring over 100 points in two of those games.
However, it also picked up a top-15 win when it knocked off Texas Tech, 81-77, in Champaign last week.
More opportunities await with Tennessee, UConn and rival Missouri ahead, in addition to Alabama.
Thus far, the Fighting Illinois have five double-digit scorers. Senior Kylan Boswell looks primed for a big campaign playing for his hometown school, as he's averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.
Brad Underwood has a heavy international feel to his roster once again with the Ivisic twins, David Mirkovic and Cal transfer Andrej Stojakovic.
Mirkovic looks like a force already, as he's averaging 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game and has won two Big Ten Freshman of the Week awards.
He recorded the first 20-20 game by an Illinois player in 53 years by recording 27 points and 21 rebounds in Saturday's victory over Colgate.
Tomislav Ivisic scored 21 points in the season opener, but he hasn't played since. He's questionable for Wednesday's game with a knee injury.
When he returns, Illinois will have one of the nation's deepest frontcourts, but the Illini are already difficult to deal with on the interior. Illinois ranks 37th in 2-point field goal percentage, 11th in offensive rebounding percentage and third in defensive rebounding percentage.
Like Alabama, Illinois hasn't forced many turnovers thus far this season. However, that hasn't stopped it from ranking 16th in adjusted defensive efficiency.
Alabama vs. Illinois Betting Analysis
On the surface, 178.5 feels entirely too high for a college basketball game. However, these teams met last year in Birmingham and combined for 187 points — the Crimson Tide rolled 100-87.
This season, Illinois' offense may be even better, as it ranks third in adjusted offensive efficiency while Alabama is 12th.
Illinois is 2-2 to the over thus far this season, including one game with 183 points. Alabama's game against Purdue went under — it cooled from deep in the second half — but its game against St. John's featured 199 points.
Both teams look to push the pace and shoot a lot of 3s. If the shots are falling on Wednesday, there should be enough possessions to go over 180 points once again.
My Pick: Over 179.5 (Play to 181.5)
