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Illinois vs. Morehead St.: 2024 NCAA Tournament Odds, Preview & Predictions

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March Madness is officially here! The 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket has been announced, and the teams are lining up for the Big Dance. Let's take a look at the early odds, preview, and predictions for the 2024 NCAA Tournament game: Illinois vs. Morehead St. And make sure to check out our 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Optimizer to take down your pools!

2024 NCAA Tournament Odds, Preview & Predictions: Illinois vs. Morehead St.

Here are odds and team previews for each of the two squads in this opening-round matchup of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Illinois 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview

On the backs of a Big Ten championship, Illinois has all the momentum heading into the Big Dance. Terrence Shannon showed what he is capable of the entire tournament and his ability to score at any level as a straight baller. Coleman Hawkins and Marcus Hawkins are both elevated Robin’s to Shannon’s batman and when those three are all on the court, it’s hard to stop the Illini. Brad Underwood’s offense is a juggernaut, ranking in the top five in adjusted efficiency, capitalizing on second-chance opportunities, taking care of the ball, and getting to the foul line.

If there is a limiting factor for Wisconsin, it would be their defense. With a defensive efficiency ranked outside the top 75 and the fact that they force turnovers at the lowest rate of any team in the tournament, the opportunity will be there for opponents to stay in games. Their mid-range defense is especially concerning, as opponents shoot the best from that part of the court with the fourth-highest attempt rate from mid-range. But if there is a spot to have weakness, that would be it. Historically speaking, a team with such a low-rated defense has struggled to win it all. But we saw Miami make a run last year, and other teams before depending on their offense. Illinois can keep up with anyone and it feels like its ceiling is sky-high

Morehead St. 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview

Before dropping three games in February, Morehead State looked like the clear-cut favorite to take down the Ohio Valley. Jordan Lathon - the Robin to Riley Minix’s Batman - missed a few games and was a big reason why the Eagles fell. At full strength, Morehead steamrolled, winning six straight with five of those wins by double-digits. The Eagles slow down the place and take a ton of threes, averaging almost nine more attempts than their opponent a game.

Their defense allows nothing from the perimeter, with only 25% of opponents’ points coming from beyond the arc, ranked 337th-lowest in the nation. On the interior, their mid-range defense is top-50 in the nation while their near-proximity is up to par. Preston Spradlin’s squad is solid on paper, but they haven’t lived up to superior opponents. Going 0-4 in the first two quadrants, Morehead State ranked 224th on Bart Torvik against top-150 opponents. They only have two wins over top-200 KenPom teams all year. They take a lot of perimeter looks so if they are hot, an upset is capable. It just seems that Morehead doesn’t step up to their competition. It will be a question of if they can when it matters.

Check out all of our 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket & Betting Coverage >>

2024 NCAA Tournament Sports Betting Picks

Now that the 2024 NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced, it’s time to make your sports betting picks to increase the excitement of March Madness. Let's take a look at the early odds and picks for the 2024 NCAA Tournament

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SOUTH REGION

WEST REGION

2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Pool Strategy & Picks

Below we provide strategy, advice, and picks to create the optimal NCAA Tournament bracket. And be sure to use our FREE bracket optimizer to build a winning men’s NCAA tournament bracket and take down your contest!

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