March Madness continues on Friday, with 16 games between 32 different teams. In the Midwest region, #6 Illinois faces off with #11 Xaiver. The higher-seeded Illini ended the season on a high note, winning four of their last five games. The Musketeers put together a second-half comeback against Texas on Wednesday, punching their ticket to the Round of 64.
Illinois enters this contest as 3.5-point favorites, with the over/under set at 160.5 points. Below is my college basketball pick on DraftKings Sportsbook for Friday’s March Madness showdown.
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#6 Illinois vs. #11 Xavier (6:45 PM)
Despite their modest seeding, Illinois could be a sleeping giant in this tournament. The Fighting Illini are built on an elite scoring attack, putting up 83.8 points per game (11th-best). In addition, the team wields KenPom’s 15th-best adjusted offensive efficiency. Head coach Brad Underwood has five different players averaging more than ten points per game at his disposal. That includes All-Big Ten selection Kasparas Jakucionis, who leads the team in points (15.0 PPG) and assists (4.6 APG).
Following a rough start, Xavier caught fire to end the season. The Musketeers have won eight of their last nine games, including Wednesday’s First Four victory over Texas. The team is led by guard Ryan Conwell (16.8 PPG) and big man Zach Freemantle (17.3 PPG). This is a well-balanced squad, ranking inside the top 50 in adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency according to KenPom.
In this battle between teams on a hot streak, it may come down to which roster has more talent. While Xavier is deep, their offense is carried primarily by the dynamic duo of Conwell and Freemantle. Even if Jakucionis has a poor game, Illinois has more than enough scorers capable of picking up the slack. The Illini also dominate the glass, ranking second in the nation in rebounds per game (42.5). As any hoops fan knows, extra boards means extra possessions.
This should be a close battle, as both sides are currently playing their best basketball of the season. While Illinois can be inconsistent, they are simply better in most aspects compared to Xavier. Back the Illini in what could be one of the best game on Friday’s slate.
College Basketball Pick: Illinois -2.5 (1 Unit)
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