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Underdog Ohio State to Cover vs Illinois
After taking out Iowa, Ohio State goes after No. 2 seed Illinois in the Big Ten quarterfinals. The Fighting Illini is favored against Ohio State for the sixth game in a row, according to the NCAAB expert picks.
Illinois and Ohio State have split the last four meetings since the teams last squared off in the Big Ten tournament. In the lone matchup this season, the Fighting Illini won 87-75 as a three-point road favorite as Marcus Domask and Terrence Shannon Jr. each had 23 points.
Illinois is tied for 13th at +3500 in the odds to win March Madness. Ohio State is well back at +50000 in the championship odds.
The Fighting Illini is 16th in the NCAA NET rankings despite a 5-6 record in Quad 1 games. Ohio State is just 3-6 in Quad 1 games and 53rd in the NCAA NET rankings so it might take a Big Ten tournament title to get the Buckeyes into the March Madness bracket.
Keep on reading for more on the matchup between Ohio State and Illinois.
Ohio State vs Illinois Game Information
- Game: Ohio State 20-12 vs Illinois 23-8
- Date/Time: Friday, March 15, 6:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
- Ohio State vs Illinois Live Stream: TBS.com
Ohio State is 12-6 in its last 18 neutral-site games with the Buckeyes covering against the college basketball spread in 11 of those games. Illinois has split its last 14 contests played on neutral courts and is 5-9 ATS in those matchups.
Big Ten Tournament Day ✌️
Ohio State vs Illinois
⏰ 6:30 PM
📍 Target Center
📺 Big Ten Network
📻 97.1 The Fan#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/JkJGZnLfcM— Ohio State Hoops 🌰 (@OhioStateHoops) March 15, 2024
Illinois is priced at -205 to win the game outright with the Buckeyes at +172 on the moneyline in college basketball odds.
Ohio State vs Illinois Odds and Spreads
Ohio State vs Illinois Betting Trends
- Ohio State has covered against the Las Vegas odds in four of its five neutral-site games.
- Nine of the last 11 games played by the Fighting Illini went over the total.
- Illinois is 20-5 outright as the favorite this season.
- Ohio State has lost seven of its 10 games as an underdog.
- Ohio State is 5-0 against the spread over the last five games.
- The Buckeyes have covered in eight of the last nine games against Big Ten teams.
- Eight of Illinois’ last 10 games against Big Ten teams went over the total.
- The Buckeyes have won their last five neutral-site games.
Ohio State vs Illinois ATS Pick: Ohio State +4½
This could be a very dangerous game for Illinois as the Fighting Illini meet up with an Ohio State team that has won five games in a row and likely views this as a must-win game when it comes to the Buckeyes’ March Madness hopes.
Illinois has won 16 of its last 20 games as the favorite and will need to play like a favorite in this showdown versus an Ohio State team that is 8-1 against the college basketball spread in its last nine games played in March.
Freshman forward Austin Parks is questionable for Ohio State. Guard Max Williams is out for Illinois.
Ohio State vs Illinois Over/Under Pick: Under 153½
The total went under in four of Ohio State’s last five games as the underdog. Keep that in mind when looking at the best college basketball bets today.
Both teams shot at least 50% from the field in the meeting during the regular season when the teams combined for 162 points. It could be more of a struggle for the teams in this matchup even if the Buckeyes scored 90 points against Iowa in its Big Ten tournament opener.
Ohio State vs Illinois Player Prop Pick: Terrence Shannon Jr. to score 20+ Points (-109)
Terrence Shannon Jr. scored at least 20 points seven times in his last nine games. He had 23 points the last time he faced the Buckeyes so the -109 odds for Shannon to have at least 20 points is sure to attract the attention of those who bet online.
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Ohio State vs Illinois Prediction
Questions Of The Day
Which team has a better record against the college basketball spread going into the Ohio State-Illinois matchup in the Big Ten tournament?
Illinois was 16-12-3 against the spread during the regular season. Ohio State is 15-16-1 ATS this season.
What is a player prop to consider for the Ohio State Buckeyes?
After finishing with a total of 18 points in his previous two games, Jamison Battle had 23 points in the Iowa game. Take a look at the -120 odds for Battle to have at least 15 points and the +127 moneyline for him to get to 17 points.
