Duquesne vs. Illinois March Madness Preview and Prediction
In a No. 11 vs. No. 3 matchup in the NCAA Tournament East Region, the Duquesne Dukes face the Illinois Fighting Illini in second-round action.
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How to Watch Duquesne vs. Illinois
When: 9:40 pm ET on Saturday, March 23rd
Where: CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska
Watch: TBS
Odds for Duquesne vs. Illinois
(odds current at time of publish)
Spread: Illinois -8.5
Total: 151.5
DraftKings Betting Splits | Live College Basketball Odds | Duquesne vs. Illinois Matchup
East Region No. 11 Duquesne Dukes
Duquesne wasn’t supposed to win the Atlantic 10 tournament, but it isn’t that surprising that the Dukes pulled through. This is a team that is top 30 in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency, and Duquesne is also capable of forcing a lot of turnovers on that end of the floor. The Dukes also have a dynamic backcourt in Dae Dae Grant and Jimmy Clark III. The only thing this team is really missing is consistent 3-point shooting. But Duquesne got hot when it mattered most, with the team having some big shooting performances in the conference tournament. And the offense held up in an opening-round win over a good BYU team.
East Region No. 3 Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois felt a little underappreciated heading into March Madness, which might have something to do with the team losing both of its high-profile games against Purdue. But the Fighting Illini have some serious talent, with Terrence Shannon Jr., Marcus Domask and Coleman Hawkins being one of the better trios in the nation — and Dain Dainja emerging as a monster. Illinois is just a wild combination of efficient and explosive offensively. And the team can score in a number of different ways, which is never bad when the game slows down. The question with the Illini is whether they can consistently get enough stops to make a deep run in this tournament. Their defense left a lot to be desired throughout the season.
Duquesne vs. Illinois Preview & Prediction
The Dukes are in the tournament for the first time since 1977, but they already proved it’s no mistake they’re here. After somewhat surprisingly emerging from the A-10 tournament with four wins in five days, Duquesne earned a 71-67 win over a good BYU team. The Dukes, who are a top-25 team in adjusted defensive efficiency, stifled a Cougars team that was top 15 in adjusted offensive efficiency. Duquesne did that by relentlessly closing out on shooters. The Dukes will need to bring a similar effort into a second-round meeting with an Illini team that shot 46.2% from deep against Morehead State.
The issue for Duquesne is that preventing open looks against Illinois is only half the battle. Whereas BYU shot just about half of its total shots from 3 this year, Illinois has a much healthier shot profile. Terrence Shannon Jr. is an absolute blur with the ball in his hands, and he does a good job of putting pressure on the rim. And Marcus Domask is one of the most unique offensive players in the nation. Despite standing at 6-foot-6 and previously having a reputation as an outside shooter, Domask punishes players with his back to the basket. It doesn’t always look pretty, but he relentlessly backs people down and seems to always get himself a good look at the rim.
Duquesne was a good team all year when it came to 2P% defense, so it’s not like the Dukes can’t figure it all out. But the Illini might have a little too much talent and versatility. Of course, Illinois can be absolutely miserable on the defensive end. But the team did a good job of locking in last game. And Duquesne might not have enough firepower. Dae Dae Grant is a tremendous scorer at the guard position, but the Illini will do everything they can to make sure he doesn’t beat them. That makes it hard to believe the Dukes will be able to hang around. Even if Duquesne plays good defense for most of this game, Illinois will have some quick bursts of offense. Those are inevitable with this team. Will the Dukes have their own?
The Illini also do a good job of making teams play on their terms. Morehead State is a team that played at a slow pace all year, but Illinois found a way to make it a shootout. Given where this total opened, the oddsmakers seem to think this game will be similar.
Estimated Score: Illinois 79 – Duquesne 68.8
For expert predictions, go to our college basketball best bets page.
