Duquesne vs Illinois Prediction | NCAA Tourney Second Round Picks & Odds

Duquesne vs Illinois Prediction | NCAA Tourney Second Round Picks & Odds

The Second Round of NCAA Tourney begins on Saturday afternoon -- and the seventh matchup of the day we'll be breaking down is Duquesne vs Illinois, which is scheduled for 8:40 p.m. ET on TNT.

The Illini are 10-point favorites on the spread in Saturday's contest; with the game total stationed at over/under 148 at most sportsbooks.

Here's everything you need to know about Duquesne vs Illinois -- our expert prediction and betting picks for this Second Round NCAA Tournament matchup on Saturday, March 23.

Duquesne vs Illinois Odds

DUQ @ ILL Odds

Duquesne vs Illinois Picks & Prediction

Duquesne's story has been unbelievable as the Dukes started 0-5 in Atlantic 10 play but still wound up winning the conference tournament.

The Dukes picked up their 9th straight win in Thursday's 71-67 triumph over BYU as 9-point underdogs, marking their 5th outright win as a 'dog during this stretch.

The road doesn't ease up as Duquesne faces Big Ten power Illinois, who took care of Morehead State, 85-69 as 11-point favorites.

The Fighting Illini have lost once this season as a favorite of nine points or more, which came to Maryland in mid-January.

Illinois' three-point defense wasn't great this season by allowing 34.4% shooting from downtown, which ranked 226th in the country. However, Duquesne shoots 34% from long distance and ranked 12th in Atlantic 10 play in 3-point shooting.

Duquesne has the 4th-longest active winning streak in the country, but the Dukes have not faced an offense like Illinois this season and the Illini could run them out.

Pick: Illinois -10 (-110)

Click this link for betting picks and predictions for all 16 Second Round matchups of the NCAA Tourney!

Duquesne vs Illinois Game Time & TV Channel

Date: Saturday, March 23
Matchup: A-10 vs Big Ten
Venue: CHI Health Center Omaha
Location: Omaha, NE
Time-TV: TNT, 8:40 p.m. ET

Duquesne vs Illinois Betting Stats

3) Illinois Fighting Illini
(Big Ten, Automatic)

  • Futures: +2700
  • Region: +600
  • SU: 26-8
  • ATS: 19-13-1
  • O/U: 24-10
  • PPG: 83.9
  • OPPG: 72.9

11) Duquesne Dukes
(Atlantic 10, Automatic)

  • Futures: +30000
  • Region: +10000
  • SU: 24-11
  • ATS: 18-16
  • O/U: 9-24-1
  • PPG: 71.0
  • OPPG: 66.8

March Madness Betting Resources

March Madness Second Round Odds

The NCAA Men's Tournament Second Round will take place on Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24.

Check out the teams, odds, betting stats and much more on each of the four regions below: