Monday, November 15th: Illinois Fighting Illini vs Marquette Golden Eagles

The NCAA men’s college basketball season got this past week underway, and we have already been treated to some excellent games. This upcoming week will be no different as the non-conference slate continues and we start to get into the meat of the showcase and tournament schedule. With so many in-season tournaments this year, we are bound to find some excellent matchups that aren’t necessarily on the schedule but will be once the games are played.

This upcoming week will give us five excellent non-conference games that could end up shaping a season for a team. There is a good quality of non-conference Power Five games and a few really solid mid-major programs matching up with top teams in the country. Below, we look at five games across the country that can be some of the best games of the week.

Fighting Illini at Golden Eagles Predictions

One of the marquee matchups will be when Illinois takes on Marquette in the opening game of the Gavitt Games. The #11 ranked team in the country will head up to take on the Golden Eagles as both teams have gotten off to a good start to the year. Illinois blew out Jacksonville State in their opener while Marquette beat a Southern Illinois-Edwardsville team by 11 points. 

Both of these teams will be able to score the ball, but Marquette struggled defensively in their opening game. This could lead Illinois to get out to a fast start and score quite a few points. Look for these teams to combine for north of 150 points and blow away the over/under for the game as they each can score. Illinois easily beat the spread in their last game, and I would lean for them to do it again.

* All odds 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.

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