Iowa State Cyclones vs Illinois Fighting Illini Prediction, Picks, Odds, News, Injury Report for 3/28/24

We have arrived at the Sweet-16 portion of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, and the Final Four is fast approaching. The Iowa State Cyclones and Illinois Fighting Illini will meet in the last game of the night at TD Garden in Boston. MA.

This contest will be the second of two games played at TD Garden tonight. The UConn Huskies and San Diego State Aztecs will start the night on this court, and these two teams will take the floor afterward. The winners of these clashes will square off in the Eastern Regional Final on Saturday for the right to play in the Final Four.

The Cyclones and Illini both won their conference tournaments, and the line setters are letting the public pick their poison to which program advances. With a tiny -1.5 line on the handicap, the Cyclones find themselves the favorites, but we all know that means nothing at this point of the tourney.

Will Ej pick a side or go with the total for this Sweet-16 affair between Iowa State and Illinois? Let’s find out, shall we? Our Cyclones vs Fighting Illini prediction at 1.91 odds is in the article below!

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 CYCLONES VS FIGHTING ILLINI Prediction, Picks

• Selection: Match Total Over 145.5 Points 
• Best Odds: 1.91
• Bookmaker: Bet365
• Stakes: 4/10

Odds are available as of March 28th, 2024. Odds may now differ.

The Fighting Illini enter this Sweet-16 affair riding a 6-game win streak that dates back to the final game of the regular season. Purdue and Illinois are the last two teams left standing from the Big Ten Conference in the tourney. The Innini are 10 – 1 in their last 11 games, and that Boilermaker squad was responsible for that lone loss in that stretch of games.

The Illini bring a 28 – 8 record into the Sweet 16, and when it comes to totals Illinois has got that happening and then some lately. The Big Ten Champs are averaging over 91 points a game over their last four efforts, and Terrence Shannon Jr. has been a total stud.

Shannon is averaging an incredible 31.6 PPG in the post-season, and all he did in the regular season was put up 21.6 PPG. I’m saying that’s all he did because that is one impressive number as he is ranked third in the nation in scoring with 23.3 PPG for the entirety of the campaign. 

Purdue’s Zach Edey is the man above him averaging 24.5 PPG who is still playing basketball. Denver’s Tommy Bruner scored 24 PPG this year but is home watching the tournament like the rest of us.

While I could go on and on about Shannon’s post-season stats, we do have to discuss how these Cyclones got here. Iowa State has an equally impressive 29 – 7 record overall this season, and they carry a 9 – 1 record over the last 10 games into this contest. A loss to Kansas State on the final day of the regular season stands between them and a 10-game win streak.

The top four scorers for the Cyclones in the regular season are all making big contributions to lift Iowa State to the Sweet 16. Keshon Gilbert led the Cyclones in scoring with 13.5 PPG during the regular season, and he is putting up 14.6 PPG in the post-season. 

Depth is my biggest concern for the Cyclones, as they only get contributions from a total of seven players. No other player on this Cyclones roster has scored more than a single point off the bench, and the Illini will be looking to drive the lanes and get Iowa State in foul trouble to test that pine. 

I cannot shy away from this total after seeing how impressive the Illini offense looks coming into this game, I don’t think that 145.5 points is close to the number we’ll end up with, and that’s because I see a race to 80 points.

I will go on a limb and say that I expect Illinois to upset the Cyclones, and I think they’ll do it with another big game from Shannon along with their defensive prowess. An 82 – 76 final score is my prediction, so let’s see how I do! My Cyclones vs Fighting Illini prediction is for at least 146 total points. 

Cyclones vs Fighting Illini Game Info

• Time: Approx 02:09 UK Time
• Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
• Handicap & Total: Iowa State -1.5, O/U 145.5
• Where to Watch: TruTV/TBS

Iowa State Cyclones News, Injury Report, Schedule:

The Cyclones have three players listed on the injury report, although none of them have had an influence this season worth mentioning.

Iowa State has appeared in 23 NCAA Tournaments and the best they have done came in 1944 when they reached the Final Four With an overall record of 23 – 22 in 45 games played, the Cyclones have yet to reach the Final Four since then, and they haven’t advanced past this stage of the tourney in this century.

Illinois Fighting Illini News, Injury Report, Schedule

Illinois only has Max Williams listed on the injury report, and they aren’t missing a damn thing without him. Williams averaged barely over a minute of playing time this season, and that half-point he scores per game won’t be missed either.

The Illinois history at the NCAA Tournament is full of deep runs, as they made it to Final Four in their first four showings at the event from 1942 – 1952. Overall, the Illini has now made it to 14 Sweet-16 appearances in 33 tries, but they have yet to hang a banner in the rafters.  

Iowa State Cyclones vs Illinois Fighting Illini H2H

The Cyclones and Illini have met 14 times since 1923, and Illinois holds a considerable 11 – 3 advantage in the series. The two programs have only met twice since 1985, however, and Iowa State is 2 – 0 in those recent meetings. 

The last time they met was in 2018 following up with the 2015 encounter, and Iowa State scored 84 points winning both clashes by double-digits.

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