Illinois vs. Iowa State Betting Pick: Can Terrence Shannon Jr., Fighting Illini Get Past Cyclones in Sweet 16?
Illinois is an elite offensive team who frequently put up 80, 90, and 100+ points in some games this season. They are now tasked with facing Iowa State, who has one of the best defenses in the country. In this offense versus defense matchup who can get past the other? Let’s break it down.
Joey Ruiz - March 28, 2024, 4:40 PM EDT
5 minIllinois vs. Iowa State Betting Pick: Can Terrence Shannon Jr., Fighting Illini Get Past Cyclones in Sweet 16?
Illinois has probably had the easiest road to the Sweet 16 of any team in the NCAA tournament. They faced a Morehead State team in round one who gave them fits for about 30 minutes before Illinois pulled away in the final seven to ten minutes and then faced Duquesne, who upset BYU in the Round of 64. Illinois made quick work of Duquesne as they led for pretty much the whole game and won by double digits.
ILLINOIS VS. IOWA STATE DATE, TIME, AND WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: March 28, 2024
- Start Time: 10:09 p.m. ET
- Where to Watch: TBS, truTV
ILLINOIS VS. IOWA STATE PREDICTION
On the other side, Iowa state enters this matchup coming off a hard fought win against Washington state in a game that was very close down the stretch. I actually think having a close game under their belt helps Iowa State in a tough matchup like this that should be fairly close. This is also a game of two very contrasting styles.
Illinois wants to get up and down and score as many points as possible with defense being fairly optional in a lot of games that we saw from them this season. Illinois does have two very elite players on the offensive end in Terrence Shannon Jr. and Marcus Domask. Shannon is a volume scorer who can drop 30 points on any given night and can score from all three levels on the court. Domask is not really a high flyer, but is an extremely experienced and high-level IQ player, who uses elite footwork to create his own shot on the offensive end.
On the flip side, Iowa State scores by committee. Their two best players on the offensive end are Tamin Lipsey and Keshon Gilbert, who are extremely dynamic guards, who can break you down off the dribble, knock down threes, and create opportunities for others around them. While Iowa State grades out as an average to above average offensive team, where they hang their hat is on defense. The Cyclones are one of the best defensive teams in the country and showcased that as they absolutely blew out Houston in the Big 12 championship game, holding them to well under 50 points.
The Iowa State defense was on display all season as they are currently ranked first in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency, second in the nation in defensive turnover percentage, and third in steal percentage. If you are careless with the ball, Iowa State will certainly take it away from you to create opportunities in transition and in half court. Iowa State also played a gauntlet of a schedule in the Big 12, which should have them fully prepared for this heavyweight mashup.
With that being said, I am rolling with Iowa State ML at -109 for 2U as my most confident college basketball play of the day for tonight’s action as I believe the Cyclones get the job done and move onto the Elite 8 behind a fantastic defensive performance.
ILLINOIS VS. IOWA STATE Betting PICK
2U Iowa State ML -109 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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