Illinois vs. Iowa State: Predictions and odds for Thursday’s March Madness Sweet 16 game

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The No. 2-seed Iowa State Cyclones face off against No. 3-seed Illinois Fighting Illini in a tightly contested March Madness Sweet 16 matchup.

Iowa State has made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years, following their 67-57 victory over No. 7 seed Washington State in the second round. Tamin Lipsey was the standout player for the Cyclones, contributing 15 points, five rebounds and four assists to the team’s win. Curtis Jones, who came off the bench, also played a significant role in the victory with 14 points.

Illinois has made it to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 24 years. They achieved this by defeating the Duquesne Dukes 89-63 in the second round of the tournament. Terrence Shannon Jr. was the star of the game, scoring 30 points, while Marcus Domask contributed 22 points to secure the win over the Dukes.

Super sweet: Reseeding the Sweet 16: March Madness power rankings of the teams left in NCAA Tournament

Illinois vs. Iowa State predictions

Sporting News: Iowa State 74, Illinois 71

Mike Breen writes: “Though they haven’t faced a defense quite as good as Iowa State, Illinois had some success against the better defensive teams in the Big Ten, dominating Rutgers twice but losing games against Michigan State and Maryland. Down the stretch, the Cyclones showed their ability to contain the Big 12’s top offensive teams, limiting BYU and Baylor to just 63 and 62 points in late-season matchups. And Iowa State smothered a pretty good Houston offense in the Big 12 tournament final, keeping them to just 41 total points. It’ll be close, but the Cyclones move on to their first Elite Eight appearance since 2000.”

Pickswise: Illinois win

Hilton Coliseum writes: “While Iowa State’s defense has been impressive, its offensive output has been relatively pedestrian — ranking outside the top 100 in scoring. This could prove to be the Cyclones’ undoing against an Illinois team that excels in transition and can turn defensive rebounds into instant…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/illinois-vs-iowa-state-predictions-101355164.html

Author : USA TODAY Sports

Publish date : 2024-03-28 10:13:55

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