The second-seeded Iowa State Cyclones attempt to slow down Illinois‘ offense when they face the No. 3 seed Fighting Illini in the East Region semifinals of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Iowa State (29-7) has reached the Sweet 16 for the second time in three years after posting victories against South Dakota State and Washington State. The Cyclones now take on high-scoring Illinois (28-8), which defeated Morehead State 85-69 and Duquesne 89-63 en route to their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2005.
Tipoff from TD Garden in Boston is set for 10:09 p.m. ET. The Cyclones are 1.5-point favorites in the latest Iowa State vs. Illinois odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 146. Before entering any Illinois vs. Iowa State picks, make sure you see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the Sweet 16 round of the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 152-109 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,800 for $100 players. It also has a strong 32-21 (+890) record on top-rated spread picks this season, and it called 13 Sweet 16 teams this year. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Illinois vs. Iowa State and revealed its March Madness picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Iowa State vs. Illinois:
- Iowa State vs. Illinois spread: Iowa State -1.5
- Iowa State vs. Illinois over/under: 146 points
- Iowa State vs. Illinois money line: Iowa State -125, Illinois +105
- ISU: 26-10 ATS this season
- ILL: 21-13-1 ATS this season
- Iowa State vs. Illinois picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Iowa State can cover
Washington State gave Iowa State a tough time in the first half on Saturday as the game was tied 27-27 at halftime. But the Cyclones controlled the final 20 minutes, outscoring the Cougars 40-29 to advance. Sophomore guard Tamin Lipsey led the team with 15 points and grabbed five rebounds, while senior guard Curtis Jones came off the bench to record 14 points.
Lipsey, Jones, freshman forward Milan Momcilovic and junior guard Keshon Gilbert all scored in double figures in each of Iowa State’s first two Tournament games. Momcilovic had 10 points in the second-round win after leading the Cyclones with 19 against South Dakota State, while Lipsey finished with 17 points and seven assists versus the Jackrabbits. Jones scored 10 points in Iowa State’s opener and Gilbert, who has a team-leading average of 13.7 points, registered 15 before notching 10 against Washington State. See which team to pick here.
Why Illinois can cover
The Fighting Illini followed a 54.2% shooting performance against Morehead State in the first round with a 59.3% effort versus Duquesne. Senior forward Marcus Domask put on a show versus the Eagles, while senior guard Terrence Shannon Jr. was an offensive standout in both contests. Domask recorded 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in Illinois’ first-round victory, becoming the first player to register a triple-double in an NCAA Tournament game since Murray State’s Ja Morant in 2019.
Shannon led the Fighting Illini with 26 points against Morehead State and was even more productive on Saturday, going 10-for-14 from the field en route to 30 points. Coleman Hawkins recorded 11 points and seven rebounds versus Duquesne, while fellow senior forward Quincy Guerrier added 10 and six, respectively. It was a solid bounce-back effort by Guerrier, who was 0-for-2 from the field and held scoreless for the third time this season in Illinois’ Tournament opener. See which team to pick here.
How to make Illinois vs. Iowa State picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 147 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in nearly 60% of simulations. You can only see the model’s picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Iowa State vs. Illinois, and which side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 32-21 roll on top-ranked college basketball spread picks, and find out.
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