The Illinois Fighting Illini and Duquesne Dukes face off in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Basketball Tournament. Illinois took care of business in their first round game, pulling away from Morehead State in the second half on their way to an 85-69 win. Duquesne lead for almost the entirety of their first round game against BYU, ultimately pulling off a 71-67 upset win. Both teams appear to be playing their best basketball heading into the second round, meaning an Illinois vs Duquesne prediction could be difficult to make.
Below, we will preview this NCAA Tournament college basketball game, providing data, trends, and analysis. Which school will win and keep their hopes of winning the championship trophy alive?
Illinois vs Duquesne Prediction and March Madness Expert Picks
2024 NCAA Tournament
No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini (27-8) vs. No. 14 Duquesne Dukes (26-11)
Date: Saturday, March 23, 2024
Time: 8:40 PM EST
Venue: Chi Health Center Omaha — Omaha, NE
Coverage: TNT
Illinois vs Duquesne March Madness Odds
All college basketball betting odds for Illinois vs Duquesne can be found at BetUS Sportsbook.
Moneyline: ILL: (-500) | DUQ: (+385)
Point Spread: ILL: -10.5 (-110) | DUQ: +10.5 (-110)
Total: 148.5 — Over: (-105) | Under: (-115)
KenPom Rankings | Bracketology
KenPom Rankings are from KenPom.com
| Team | Rk | AdjO | AdjD | AdjT |
| Illinois | 10 | 126.0 (2) | 101.6 (92) | 69.8 (59) |
| Duquesne | 81 | 107.2 (158) | 97.1 (29) | 66.4 (252) |
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Illinois vs Duquesne College Basketball Trends
- Illinois is 10-2 in non-conference college basketball games this season.
- Duquesne is 11-3 in non-conference college basketball games this season.
- The OVER is 19-5 in Illinois’ last 24 games.
- The UNDER is 25-9-1 in Duquesne basketball games this season.
- Illinois is seeking their first Sweet Sixteen since 2016.
- This is Duquesne’s first NCAA Tournament run since 1977.
Illinois vs Duquesne Prediction | March Madness Expert Picks
It was more of the same in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the Illini. They scored 85 points, got an All-American performance from Terrence Shannon, and got multiple contributions in all areas across the lineup. Dain Dainja continued his postseason breakout with 21 points and Marcus Domask recorded just the 10th-ever triple-double in March Madness history. Their offense is firing on all cylinders and they have the athleticism to get enough stops on the defensive end.
In what was their eighth consecutive win, Duquesne was in control of BYU from start to finish. They controlled the tempo, kept the Cougars out of rhythm, and got 19 points from guard Dae Dae Grant. In this upcoming game, controlling tempo will once again be key. If Illinois is allowed to get out in transition, Terrence Shannon and company are virtually unstoppable.
Unfortunately for the Dukes, I don’t believe they’ll be able to do that. Illinois is just too talented and athletic for Duquesne to matchup with. Even if they are able to slow the game down, the Illini have enough playmaking and shooting to just outscore the Dukes. For our Illinois vs Duquesne prediction, we are picking the Illinois Fighting Illini to win and move on in the NCAA Tournament.
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