First Round March Madness: Morehead State Eagles vs Illinois Fighting Illini Odds, AI Picks, Prediction and Betting Analysis

The March Madness finally starts and many teams want the coveted prize, the NCAA Basketball championship. The Illinois Fighting Illini will take on the Morehead State Eagles in the East Regional First Round. The winner of Morehead State vs Illinois is going to face the BYU vs Duquesne matchup winner. Now, let’s see the Morehead State vs Illinois Prediction.
Morehead State comes into this game with a 26-8 record, including a 17-4 mark in Ohio Valley Conference play. They have won six straight games, and their road record is 11-7 this season. On the road, the Eagles have been outscoring opponents by an average of 2.8 points per game.
For the year, Morehead State has been the underdog in seven of their 34 games, going 3-4 in those contests. In their last game, they defeated Little Rock by an NCAAB score of 69-55. Over their last three road games, the Eagles have gone 3-0, and their record over the last 10 road games is 7-3.
Morehead State has been solid against the spread this season, going 19-10-1. On the road, they have a mark of 10-7-1 vs. the spread. As the underdog, the Eagles are 4-2-1 vs. the spread this year and have gone 6-3-1 in their last 10 games as the underdog.
This season, the over/under record for Morehead State games is 15-15. So far, 20 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line of 146.5. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 142 points.
Illinois wants to reach the second round
Illinois enters this game with a 23-8 record and a five-game win streak. In Big Ten play, according to the NCAAB standings, the Fighting Illini have gone 18-6, and they have a 20-3 record at home this season.
Over their last 10 games at home, Illinois has gone 9-1, and they are 24-5 this season when favored. Their average scoring margin at home this year is +12.9 points per game.
As the favorite this season, Illinois has gone 14-14-1 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Fighting Illini are 6-4 ATS. At home, Illinois has an ATS mark of 10-12-1 this year. In their last three home games, the Illini are 2-1 ATS.
Illinois’ over/under record for the season is 25-10 and the average over/under line in their games is 149.9. So far, 21 of their games have had higher over/under lines than today’s line of 146.5. In their last three games, the average scoring total is 171 points and their over/under record over their last 10 games is 8-2.
Game Information
MOREHEAD STATE EAGLES vs ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI |
Location of the Game: CHI Health Center Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska |
Date and Time: Thursday, March 21st 3:10 ET |
Reason: 2024 March Madness First Round |
How to watch: truTV |
Morehead State vs Illinois Prediction Odds
There are the NCAAB Odds for this matchup of today’s NCAAB Schedule:
AI Predictions and Sport Betting AI Picks
These are the NCAAB Computer Picks for this NCAAB Matchup:
TEAM | AI PICKS | Sport Betting AI PICKS | |||
MOREHEAD STATE | 69 | 145 | Spread MORE +12 |
ML ILL -813 |
Total UNDER 146.5 |
ILLINOIS | 76 |
AI Picks: Illinois Fighting Illini 76 – Morehead State Eagles 69
Sport Betting AI Picks: ATS Eagles +12 | ML Fighting Illini -813 | UNDER 146.5
Morehead State Eagles Game Analysis
The Morehead State offense is coming off a game where they scored 69 points against Little Rock. They posted a field goal percentage of 50% and connected on 9 threes. The team’s scoring leader is Riley Minix, who holds an average of 20.8 as they head into today’s matchup. Additionally, Jordan Lathon is averaging 15.4 points per game this season.
The Eagles’ defense, according to the NCAAB team stats, is presently ranked 10th nationally, allowing an average of 62.8 points 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 Fighting Illini Game Analysis
In their recent matchup, the Illinois offense ended with 93 points against Wisconsin. They finished with an overall field goal percentage of 51.7% and made 7 threes. Terrence Shannon Jr. is currently the leading scorer for the team, entering today’s matchup with an average of 23. Meanwhile, Marcus Domask also brings a PPG average of 16 into the game, based on the NCAAB player stats.
At this time, the Fighting Illini’s defense is positioned 233rd in the country, permitting 73.8 points per game. In today’s game vs. Morehead State, the Illinois defense will be looking to do a better job avoiding putting opponents on the line. In their last game, Illinois made 26 free-throws vs. the Fighting Illini.
According to the NCAAB Injury Report, Max Williams (Undisclosed) is out for this matchup.
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