There were a few upsets in yesterday’s first round of the tournament. Before heading to the top-rated sportsbooks, let’s see what the AI Model thinks will happen on tonight’s second day of the first round.
NCAAB Pick
- Illinois -3.5 (-110) at Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
Xavier Musketeers vs. Illinois Fighting Illini
Friday, March 21, 2025 – 09:45 PM EDT at Rupp Arena
The AI Model predicts Illinois will win 83-78 over Xavier tonight. Meanwhile, Illinois is just -3.5 against the spread and would cover with a five-point win. Let’s back Illinois tonight.
Illinois Must Dominate The Glass!
The Xavier Musketeers have shot a 54.3% effective field goal percentage while hitting 39.1% from deep and 51.6% from inside the arc. Xavier is excellent on offense, except for the fact that the Musketeers have added below 25% of offensive rebounds.
Illinois won’t force turnovers, but they’ll keep teams in front and force bad shots without fouling. This will be a challenge for Xavier. If Xavier isn’t getting good looks, sticking around in this game will be hard.
Don’t Sleep On Illinois
The Illinois Fighting Illini have shot 57.3% from inside the arc and have added 36% of offensive rebounds. Ultimately, Xavier is much better on the defensive end regarding rebounds. Still, Illinois should end up with more rebounds in this game.
Beyond that, Xavier has allowed teams to hit 34.2% from downtown. If Illinois gets good looks, they’ll knock them down. Illinois has many great shooters, even if they’d been a little down this year.
The Pick
Give me Illinois at -3.5.
NCAAB Pick: Illinois -3.5 (-110) at Bet365
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