The Illinois Fighting Illini (27-8) travel to face off against the Iowa State Cyclones (29-7) on Thursday, March 28th. This game will be played at TD Garden in Boston and televised on TBS/. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 10:09 ET.
Illinois Fighting Illini vs Iowa State Cyclones
The Illinois Fighting Illini Are Coming Off A Win
Illinois enters this game as a two-point underdog, and the team has gone 3-3 when playing as an underdog this season. The Fighting Illini have been a much better team at home this year, going 22-3 compared to 7-5 on the road. They are currently on a seven-game winning streak, and they have gone 27-8 overall.
Over their last 10 games on the road, Illinois has gone 6-4, and they are coming off a 26-point win over Duquesne. So far this season, the team has gone 18-6 in Big Ten play, and they have gone 9-2 in non-conference games.
When looking at Illinois’ ATS record this season, they have gone 20-15-2. On the road, their ATS mark is 8-3-1. As the underdog, they have a record of 4-1-1 vs. the spread. In their last 10 games as the underdog, the Fighting Illini have gone 7-2-1.
Today’s over/under line of 145.5 is lower than the average over/under line in Illinois’ games this season (149.8). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 162 points compared to their season average of 157.7 points per game. Over their last 10 games, the over/under record is 8-2.
The Iowa State Cyclones Are Coming Off A Win
After winning their last six games, Iowa State will look to extend their winning streak to seven as they host Illinois. The Cyclones have been dominant at home this season, going 23-1 and winning their last 19 games at Hilton Coliseum.
Overall, Iowa State is 29-7, and they have gone 17-5 in Big 12 play compared to a 12-2 non-conference record. As the favorite, the Cyclones have gone 25-3, and they have been favored in 28 of their 36 games this season.
As the favorite this season, Iowa State has gone 19-8-1 vs. the spread. In their last 10 games as the favorite, the Cyclones have an ATS mark of 7-3. At home this year, Iowa State is 18-5-1 ATS and they are 3-0 ATS in their last 3 home games.
This season, the over/under record for Iowa State games is 18-19 and today’s over/under line of 145.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (137.1). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 126 points and their OU record during this stretch is 1-2. On the year, 27 of their games have finished with less points than today’s over/under line.
Illinois Offense Breakdown
In their latest game, Illinois’ offense looked good, scoring 89 points against Duquesne. They recorded an overall field goal percentage of 59.3% and made 12/17 free throws. Terrence Shannon Jr. is the current leading scorer for the team, with an average of 23 as they approach today’s matchup. In addition, Marcus Domask brings a PPG average of 16 into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terrence Shannon Jr. (G) | 23.0 | 4.1 | 2.1 |
| Marcus Domask (F) | 16.0 | 4.9 | 3.7 |
| Coleman Hawkins (F) | 12.4 | 6.2 | 2.7 |
Iowa State Offense Breakdown
The Iowa State offense, in their latest game, managed to score just 67 points versus Washington State. During the game, they attempted 14 three-point shots and had a field goal percentage of 40.4%. Tamin Lipsey was the leading scorer for the Cyclones, putting up 15 points. In addition, Curtis Jones contributed 14 points.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keshon Gilbert (G) | 13.8 | 4.5 | 4.3 |
| Tamin Lipsey (G) | 12.3 | 4.7 | 4.9 |
| Milan Momcilovic (F) | 11.0 | 3.2 | 1.2 |
Illinois Team Defense
So far, the Fighting Illini’s defense is ranked 224th in the country at 73.4 points per contest. Illinois’ three-point defense is currently 67th in the country at 6.2 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 43.4% of their shots vs. Illinois.
Iowa State Team Defense
So far this season, the Iowa State defense has been performing well, ranking 5th in the country at 61.3 points allowed per contest. On average, opposing teams are hitting 7.2 threes per game vs. Illinois. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 30.9%.
Fighting Illini vs Cyclones Trends
- When looking at their past ten road matchups, Illinois has an ATS record of 7-3 while averaging 85 per game. The team went 6-4 overall in these games.
- Across their last five home contests, Iowa State has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-1-1. Their overall mark in these games was 3-2, while averaging 64 points per game.
- Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Fighting Illini have gone 7-2-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 3-7.
- As the betting favorite, the Cyclones have an ATS record of 3-0 in their last three games. In these matchups, their straight up record was 3-0.
Fighting Illini vs Cyclones Prediction
Not only do we have the Cyclones winning this one by a score of 76-69, but we see them covering the spread. Our pick is to grab the Cyclones at -2.
Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 145.5, and our model predicts the Fighting Illini and Cyclones to score a combined 145 points. We recommend betting on the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:March 25, 2024 Illinois Fighting Illini, Iowa State Cyclones