The Fighting Illini and Cyclones are set to face off at 10:09 ET on TBS/. The Cyclones will host the game at TD Garden in Boston, MA. The over/under line for this matchup is currently at 145.5 points, and Iowa State is favored by -2 at home against Illinois.

ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI VS IOWA STATE CYCLONES BETTING PICK

The Pick: Iowa State Cyclones -2

This game will be played at TD Garden at 10:09 ET on Thursday, March 28th.

WHY BET THE IOWA STATE CYCLONES:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 76-69 in favor of the Cyclones.
  • Not only will Iowa State pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -2.
  • The over/under is currently sitting at 145.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 145 points.

Will the Fighting Illini Pull Through as the Away Underdog?

In today’s game, Illinois, who has a record of 27-8, will play against Iowa State. As the visiting team, the Fighting Illini have a road record of 7-5, while they are 22-3 at home this season. Illinois’ performance against the spread heading into today’s game stands at 20-15-2. On the road, the Fighting Illini are 8-3-1 vs. the spread, while at home they are 12-12-1 vs. the spread.

Up to this point, games involving Illinois have had an average of 157.7 points per game, with the average over/under line set at 149.8 points. Their over/under record is 27-10-0. When looking at the Fighting Illini’s last three games, their over/under record is 3-0, with their games averaging 162 points per game.

Coming off a good offensive performance, Illinois’ offense scored 89 points against Duquesne. Their field goal percentage for the game was 59.3%, and they went 12/17 from the free-throw line. 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.

At present, the Fighting Illini’s defense is nationally ranked 224th, allowing 73.4 points per game. In their previous game vs. Duquesne, the Dukes finished with a field goal percentage of 59% and a total of 63 points vs. Illinois.

Can the Cyclones Grab a Win at Home?

Iowa State comes into today’s game against Illinois with a season record of 29-7. When playing on the road, the Cyclones have a record of 7-6, while at home they are 23-1. Against the spread, Iowa State has a winning record of 25-10-2, which is above .500. In their last ten games, Iowa State has been even more impressive with a perfect 5-0 record against the spread.

Looking at their over/under performance through 36 games, Iowa State has an over/under record of 18-19-0, with their games averaging 136.8 points per game on average. The Cyclones have an over/under record of 1-2 in their last three games, with their games averaging 126 points per game.

Compared to their season average of 75.6 points per game, Iowa State struggled in their previous game. Against Washington State, the Cyclones scored 67 points while finishing with a field goal percentage of 40.4%. The top scorer for the Cyclones was Tamin Lipsey with 15 points, while Curtis Jones also chipped in with 14 points.

In the current season, the Iowa State defense has excelled, sitting 5th in the nation by allowing 61.3 points per game. Against Washington State in their most recent game, the Iowa State defense gave up a total of 56 points while allowing Washington State to hit 40% of their shots.