Illinois +1.5 (-110) over Iowa State
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- Illinois’ offense has become the number one offense in the country according to Kenpom, as they have been on fire coming into this game.
- Iowa State has been playing so well of late, but it is important to note they have been playing virtual home games in Kansas City and Omaha during all of postseason play until now.
The Illinois Fighting Illini will take on the Iowa State Cyclones in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament on March 28, 2024, at 10:09 pm ET. DraftKings Sportsbook's initial odds have the Illinois Fighting Illini as 1.5 point underdogs. Early betting action shows Illinois with 54% of the spread bets, while the Iowa State Cyclones have 46%. The opening total is set at 146.5, with 53% of bets towards the under, and 47% towards the over. It's shaping up to be an exciting matchup between these two powerhouse teams from TD Garden in Boston.
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Tonight’s Illinois vs Iowa State matchup might be the best game of the entire Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. Illinois comes in playing some of the best offense we’ve seen all season in college basketball. Meanwhile, Iowa State has arguably the best defense in all of college basketball. That clash in styles will make for a fascinating contest, as both of these teams look to get one step closer to the Final Four.
For Illinois, the key to this game will be picking up its pace and forcing Iowa State out of its comfort zone. The Cyclones rank in the 200s in adjusted tempo according to Kenpom, while the Illini prefer to play games with more possessions in them. If Illinois can be successful in increasing the number of possessions in this game, they could very well come away with a win as an underdog to get to the Elite 8.
On the Iowa State side, the biggest key to this contest will be slowing down Terrence Shannon Jr. of Illinois. Shannon has been electric so far in this tournament, averaging 28 points per game against Morehead State and Duquesne. While he is set to face a much tougher opponent in this game, Shannon has the kind of talent that could still lead to a productive night, even against one of the best defenses in the country.
Our best bet in this game is for Illinois to cover the spread, as they could very well win this game outright. The Fighting Illini do enough defensively to slow down Iowa State, while the offense of the Illini is hard for almost anyone to match up with. We will take the underdog to move on and face either San Diego State or UConn in the East Regional final.
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