#657/658 ASA TOP PLAY ON 10* Under 151.5 Points – Ohio State vs Illinois, Sunday at 2:30 PM ET - This total is set too high for a Big Ten Championship game. We expect both defenses to be on top of their game with a title on the line. Illinois ranks 2nd in the conference in defensive efficiency and eFG% allowed. In Big 10 play they allowed just 68 PPG on 41% shooting. OSU’s overall defensive numbers on the season are not as strong, however after losing 4 in a row to end the regular season, head coach Holtmann went back to the basics and focused on defense. It worked as they have been lights out on that end of the court in the Big 10 tourney allowing their 3 opponents to shoot just 38% combined. On Saturday they held a very potent Michigan offense (5th nationally in offensive efficiency) to just 67 points. The Wolverines held OSU to just 68 points and the Illini defense is definitely on par with Michigan’s (1st and 2nd in the Big 10 in defensive efficiency). On offense, Illinois takes fewer 3 pointers than any team in the league (25% of their points from deep) and OSU is in the middle of the pack (33% of points from 3). So we don’t expect a barrage of threes going up in this game an when they do, remember this is OSU’s 4th game in 4 days and Illinois 3rd game in 3 days so legs will be a factor when launching from deep. This is the Buckeyes THIRD highest total of the entire season and the other 2 were vs Iowa who is fast paced, the #1 offensive efficiency team in the Big 10 and not great defensively. The Illini had 6 totals this season set at 150 or higher and 5 of those games went UNDER the total. We expect the Big 10 Championship game to be a lower scoring game as it always has been. Teams know each other very well and are closing out a long, physically and emotionally draining weekend. Since the Big 10 tourney began in 1998 the average total combined points per game has been just 126.5. NOT ONE of those 22 games has topped 151 points and today’s total is 151.5. UNDER for us on this one.