**Illinois at Wisconsin**
--Most sports books are listing Wisconsin (15-5 straight up, 9-9 against the spread) as a two-point favorite with the total marked at 129.
--The Badgers have lost three of their last four games (1-2 ATS), including Saturday's 85-76 loss at Michigan as three-point underdogs. Kammron Taylor scored a career-high 29 points in the losing effort.
--Illinois (19-2 SU, 10-7 ATS) has won three straight games by double-digit margins, compiling a 2-1 spread record in the process. The Illini knocked off Purdue on Saturday, 76-58, but they failed to cover the number as 21-point favorites. Rich McBride scored a game-high 19 points, while Dee Brown had 12 points and nine assists.
--Bruce Weber's team has dealt out a lot of double-digit treatment to teams in the last two years. Wisconsin has been no exception, losing three straight to Illinois by (you guessed it...) double digits.
--Illinois is 3-2 both SU and ATS in true road games.
--Wisconsin has won 11 of its 12 home games, posting a 6-4 spread record.
--The 'under' is 6-2 in the last eight head-to-head meetings between these schools.
--ESPN will provide television coverage at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
**Florida at Ole Miss**
--There have been several incidents in recent Florida basketball history that have left fans scratching their heads. For instance, there was the Teddy Dupay gambling episode that left the Gators without their senior star during the 2001-02 season. Later that year, less than 72 hours before tip-off of their first-round NCAA Tournament game against Creighton, LaDarius Halton slugged teammate Brett Nelson at practice, fracturing the cheekbone of the team's leading scorer. The following season, during the midst of the stretch run in mid-February, starting forward Christian Drejer abruptly left the team to go play professionally overseas.
And now lightning has seemingly struck again in Gainesville. Junior guard Lee Humphrey, the SEC's top 3-point shooter (49.6%), separated his shoulder in a bike accident Sunday and could miss as many as three weeks. Humphrey (10.9 points per game) is "out" for at least the next two games, but UF head coach Billy Donovan hasn't ruled out a return for a Feb. 8 games against South Carolina.
--Florida (18-2 SU, 9-5 ATS) is off an 81-58 home win over Vanderbilt as a nine-point 'chalk.' The Commodores came out swinging in Gainesville, draining 60 percent of their shots from the floor in the first half, when they enjoyed a lead as big as 10. But the second half was all Florida, which limited Vandy to just 7-of-24 shooting in the deciding stanza. Al Horford paced a balanced attack with 16 points for the Gators.
--Ole Miss (13-6 SU, 5-6 ATS) got off to 3-0 start in SEC play, but, just as this space forecasted, the Rebels have come back to the pack. They have dropped three in a row, but for our purposes, the Rebels got the job done Saturday. LSU came into Oxford and captured a 79-73 win, but Rebels backers later found the counter to cash tickets as 7 1/2-point underdogs.
--Rod Barnes' team is 10-2 SU at home, 4-3 ATS.
--The 'over' has hit in all three of Ole Miss' SEC home outings.
--The 'under' has cashed in five straight Florida games.
--Most spots are marking the Gators as 5 1/2-point favorites with a total of 138.
--Tip-off is slated for 8:00 p.m. Eastern with ESPN2 providing the telecast.
--Most sports books are listing Wisconsin (15-5 straight up, 9-9 against the spread) as a two-point favorite with the total marked at 129.
--The Badgers have lost three of their last four games (1-2 ATS), including Saturday's 85-76 loss at Michigan as three-point underdogs. Kammron Taylor scored a career-high 29 points in the losing effort.
--Illinois (19-2 SU, 10-7 ATS) has won three straight games by double-digit margins, compiling a 2-1 spread record in the process. The Illini knocked off Purdue on Saturday, 76-58, but they failed to cover the number as 21-point favorites. Rich McBride scored a game-high 19 points, while Dee Brown had 12 points and nine assists.
--Bruce Weber's team has dealt out a lot of double-digit treatment to teams in the last two years. Wisconsin has been no exception, losing three straight to Illinois by (you guessed it...) double digits.
--Illinois is 3-2 both SU and ATS in true road games.
--Wisconsin has won 11 of its 12 home games, posting a 6-4 spread record.
--The 'under' is 6-2 in the last eight head-to-head meetings between these schools.
--ESPN will provide television coverage at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.
**Florida at Ole Miss**
--There have been several incidents in recent Florida basketball history that have left fans scratching their heads. For instance, there was the Teddy Dupay gambling episode that left the Gators without their senior star during the 2001-02 season. Later that year, less than 72 hours before tip-off of their first-round NCAA Tournament game against Creighton, LaDarius Halton slugged teammate Brett Nelson at practice, fracturing the cheekbone of the team's leading scorer. The following season, during the midst of the stretch run in mid-February, starting forward Christian Drejer abruptly left the team to go play professionally overseas.
And now lightning has seemingly struck again in Gainesville. Junior guard Lee Humphrey, the SEC's top 3-point shooter (49.6%), separated his shoulder in a bike accident Sunday and could miss as many as three weeks. Humphrey (10.9 points per game) is "out" for at least the next two games, but UF head coach Billy Donovan hasn't ruled out a return for a Feb. 8 games against South Carolina.
--Florida (18-2 SU, 9-5 ATS) is off an 81-58 home win over Vanderbilt as a nine-point 'chalk.' The Commodores came out swinging in Gainesville, draining 60 percent of their shots from the floor in the first half, when they enjoyed a lead as big as 10. But the second half was all Florida, which limited Vandy to just 7-of-24 shooting in the deciding stanza. Al Horford paced a balanced attack with 16 points for the Gators.
--Ole Miss (13-6 SU, 5-6 ATS) got off to 3-0 start in SEC play, but, just as this space forecasted, the Rebels have come back to the pack. They have dropped three in a row, but for our purposes, the Rebels got the job done Saturday. LSU came into Oxford and captured a 79-73 win, but Rebels backers later found the counter to cash tickets as 7 1/2-point underdogs.
--Rod Barnes' team is 10-2 SU at home, 4-3 ATS.
--The 'over' has hit in all three of Ole Miss' SEC home outings.
--The 'under' has cashed in five straight Florida games.
--Most spots are marking the Gators as 5 1/2-point favorites with a total of 138.
--Tip-off is slated for 8:00 p.m. Eastern with ESPN2 providing the telecast.
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