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

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

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.

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

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

No. 17 Illinois takes on the Northwestern Wildcats after Kasparas Jakucionis scored 21 points in Illinois' 91-70 loss to the Maryland Terrapins.

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.

The first bit of evidence: When Illinois and Northwestern met Dec. 6 in Evanston, Ill., the Wildcats erased a 10-point second-half deficit and earned a 70-66 overtime victory. Nick Martinelli scored most of his game-high 27 points after halftime as the Wildcats kept going to him and the Illini kept letting him go one-on-one.

Northwestern Wildcats (12-7, 3-5 Big Ten) at Illinois Fighting Illini (13-6, 5-4 Big Ten) Champaign, Illinois; Sunday, 3 p.m. EST BOTTOM LINE: Northwestern visits No. Illinois after Ty Berry scored 23 points in Northwestern's 79-70 win against the Indiana Hoosiers.

Wisconsin basketball still holds a strong position in both KenPom and ESPN BPI after its road loss to Maryland.