The Morehead State Eagles (26-8) travel to face off against the Illinois Fighting Illini (23-8) on Thursday, March 21st. This game will be played at CHI Health Center Omaha in Omaha and televised on truT. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 3:10 ET.
Morehead State Eagles vs Illinois Fighting Illini
The Morehead State Eagles Are Coming Off A Win
Morehead State comes into this game with a 26-8 record and winners of their last six games. On the road, the Eagles have gone 11-7 this season, and they have won their last three games away from home.
For the year, Morehead State has been the underdog in seven games, going 3-4 in those matchups. So far, they have been the underdog in 23 of their 34 games.
Morehead State has a solid ATS record of 19-10-1 this season and has gone 4-2-1 vs. the spread as the underdog. Over their last 10 games as the underdog, the Eagles have an ATS mark of 6-3-1.
This season, the over/under record for Morehead State is 15-15, and today’s over/under line of 146.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (137.3). In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 and the average scoring total in those games is 142 points.
The Illinois Fighting Illini Are Coming Off A Win
Illinois comes into this game as the favorite, as they have been in 29 of their 31 games this season. They are 24-5 in those games, including a 20-3 record at home.
The Fighting Illini have been on a roll lately, winning five straight games to improve their overall record to 23-8. They are 18-6 in Big Ten play and have gone 9-1 in their last 10 games at home.
Against the spread this season, Illinois has gone 18-15-2. At home, their ATS record is 10-12-1. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Illini are 6-4 vs. the spread. In their last three home games, they are 2-1 ATS.
This season, the over/under record in Illinois games is 25-10. So far, their games have averaged 158 points compared to an average over/under line of 149.9, resulting in an average margin of 8.1. Today’s line of 146.5 is lower than the average OU line in their games. Over their last three games, the over/under record is 3-0 and their games have averaged 171 points.
Morehead State Offense Breakdown
In contrast to their season average of 75.5 points per game, the Morehead State had a below average performance. They scored 69 points against Little Rock and had a field goal percentage of 50%. The Morehead State offense has been looking to get up shots from outside so far this season, averaging 26 three-point attempts per contest. Overall, they have connected on 36% of their looks from outside this season.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riley Minix (G) | 20.8 | 9.8 | 2.2 |
| Jordan Lathon (G) | 15.4 | 6.0 | 2.3 |
| Kalil Thomas (G) | 12.5 | 4.4 | 1.3 |
Illinois Offense Breakdown
The Illinois offense is coming off a game where they scored 93 points against Wisconsin. They posted a field goal percentage of 51.7% and connected on 7 threes. Leading the team in scoring is Terrence Shannon Jr., who is averaging 23 heading into today’s matchup. Additionally, Marcus Domask also maintains a PPG average of 16 heading into 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 |
Morehead State Team Defense
So far this season, the Morehead State defense has been performing well, ranking 10th in the country at 62.8 points allowed per contest. So far, the Morehead State defense is giving up an average of 8.2 offensive rebounds per game and are turning teams over 11.2 times per game (534th).
Illinois Team Defense
At present, the Fighting Illini’s defense is nationally ranked 233rd, allowing 73.8 points per game. Illinois’ three-point defense is currently 57th in the country at 6.1 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 43.5% of their shots vs. Illinois.
Eagles vs Fighting Illini Trends
- Through their last five road contests, the Eagles offense has averaged 76 points per game while allowing an average of 69. Morehead State posted an overall record of 3-2 while going 2-3 ATS.
- In their last three home games, Illinois has averaged 84 points per game while allowing 78. The team’s record in this stretch was 2-1 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.
- Morehead State has done well both straight up and vs the spread as the underdog, going 3-2 SU and 3-2 ATS in their last five games.
- Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Fighting Illini have gone 6-4 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 8-2.
Eagles vs Fighting Illini Prediction
For a pick on the point-spread in this Fighting Illini vs. Eagles matchup, our bet is to grab the Eagles at +12. Even though our projections have the Fighting Illini winning 76-69, we see the Eagles as the play on the point-spread.
As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 146.5, and our model projects the Eagles and Fighting Illini to reach a combined total of 145 points. Our bet is on taking 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 19, 2024 Illinois Fighting Illini, Morehead State Eagles