Illinois vs. Arkansas picks, predictions: Who wins NCAA Tournament first-round game?

Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Republic
·4 min read
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No. 9 seed Illinois and No. 8 seed Arkansas face off on Thursday in an NCAA Tournament first-round game.

The game is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. MST and can be seen on TBS.

Who will win the game?

Check out these picks and predictions for the contest.

Arkansas is a 2.5-point favorite in the game, according to Tipico Sportsbook.

Sporting News: Arkansas 70, Illinois 70

Nick Musial writes: "Both offenses likely have a hard time scoring consistently in the half-court, setting this game up for whichever team can be more effective in transition. Arkansas boasts one of the best transition defenses in college basketball per HoopMath, holding opponents to 48.2 effective field goal percentage in transition (26th in D-1). Illinois' transition defense isn't nearly as strong, ranking below average in effective field goal percentage (54.1 percent). The Razorbacks' ability to get higher-percentage looks more often results in Eric Musselman's crew advancing to the Round of 32 with a win and cover in a lower-scoring contest."

FanDuel: Arkansas 73, Illinois 67

Larry Rupp writes: "Illinois is 1-5 ATS in its last six games overall and 1-7 ATS in its last eight games on a Thursday as well. The Fighting Illini struggle to come back from early deficits because they cannot shoot the three-ball efficiently (30.9%) or drain enough free throws (68.0%). That will be the case again here."

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Fansided: Go with Arkansas to cover against Illinois

Josh Yourish writes: "I think Arkansas has enough to get it done. Eric Musselman’s style always plays in March and they have just enough experience to go with their insane talent level. Surprisingly, they’re 24th in defensive efficiency and 124th on offense, so if they can score enough with Smith Jr. they’ll be fine and could even give Kansas a scare in the next round."

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Can Illinois upset Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament?
Can Illinois upset Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament?

Sportsbook Wire: Arkansas 72, Illinois 70

It writes: "Arkansas is 15-16-2 ATS this season. Illinois has put together an 18-14-0 ATS record so far this season."

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World Sports Network: Take Illinois to defeat Arkansas in first-round game

Caleb Tallman writes: "The key to the game will come down to the role players and how often they can be consistent. At 6-10; Razorbacks forward Makhi Mitchell stepped up as the key center after Trevon Brazille’s torn ACL early in the season. Fighting Illini guards Jayden Epps, Skky Clark, and RJ Melendez are three players that still play aggressive defense in man-on-man defenses. If the Fighting Illini can keep up with the speed of the Razorbacks, they have a great chance of beating Arkansas for the sixth consecutive time."

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Illinois vs. Arkansas picks, predictions for March Madness game