At the beginning of March, Madness is the fact that Illinois is the team to watch. Coach Brad Underwood has the Fighting Illini peaking at the perfect time. Illinois impressively won the Big Ten Tournament. Thus, they earned the top seed in the Midwest Regional. Fans recall how Loyola Chicago was a recent Cinderella Final Four team with the College Basketball odds. But the Ramblers face a hot Georgia Tech program in the opening round. Oklahoma State brings one of the nation’s top freshmen against Liberty. While Tennessee has a Final Four caliber defense against Oregon State.
2021 NCAA Basketball Tournament – Illinois Bracket
| First Round Date: | Friday, March 19, 2021 |
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| 2021 NCAA Tournament Odds at SBG: | Click Here |
Drexel vs. Illinois, 1:15 p.m. ET, TBS
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drexel | +22½ (-110) | 144½ (-110) | +2000 | |
| Illinois | -22½ (-110) | 144½ (-110) | -4000 | |
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Illinois is 23-6 SU, 18-10-1 ATS, 16-12-1 OU. Drexel is 12-7 SU, 12-5-2 ATS, 11-8 OU. Overall, the Fighting Illini ranks 18th out of 350 teams for scoring. Illinois ranks 20th for 3-point shooting percentage and 9th for offensive rebounding. Ayo Dosunmu is one of the nation’s top impact players. To show, Dosunmu averages 20.7 points and 5.3 assists per game. Kofi Cockburn adds 17.3 points and 9.6 rebounds per contest. Illinois has paid in six of their last seven games.
Drexel finished 6th in the Colonial Athletic Association. But the Dragons won the conference tournament. Most important of all, Drexel was one of the most reliable teams on the board this season.
Loyola Chicago vs. Georgia Tech, 4 p.m. ET, TBS
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Tech | +2½ (-110) | 126 (-110) | +110 | |
| Loyola Chicago | -2½ (-110) | 126 (-110) | -130 | |
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Georgia Tech is 17-8 SU, 15-10 ATS, 14-9-2 OU. Counter to that is Loyola Chicago at 24-4 SU, 16-9-1 ATS, 12-14 OU. Georgia Tech finished 4th in the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season standings. But they won the ACC Tournament. Tech has taken over the sportsbook cashier’s cage with eight payouts in nine games. Moses Wright leads the Yellow Jackets with 17.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.
First place in the Missouri Valley went to Loyola Chicago. The Ramblers won the conference tournament too. Loyola brings the nation’s top-ranked scoring defense to the NCAA Tournament. So too, have they covered three in a row and showed profitability for the season.
Tennessee vs. Oregon State, 4:30 p.m. ET, TNT
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon State | +7½ (-110) | 131½ (-110) | +290 | |
| Tennessee | -7½ (-110) | 131½ (-110) | -350 | |
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Tennessee is 18-8 SU, 13-12-1 ATS, 11-15 OU. At the onset of the season, the Volunteers were a hot brand and ranked in the top ten. Oregon State is 17-12 SU, 18-9-1 ATS, 17-11 OU. Tennessee faded badly down the stretch with only three payouts in their final nine games. The defense is the Volunteers’ strength. UT ranks 22nd in the nation for points allowed.
Oregon State is one of the hottest teams on the board, with ten payouts in their last 11 games. But their offense ranks in the bottom third of the country.
Oklahoma State vs. Liberty, 6:25 p.m. ET, TBS
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | +7½ (-110) | 141½ (-110) | +300 | |
| Oklahoma State | -7½ (-110) | 141½ (-110) | -360 | |
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On the whole, Liberty is 23-5 SU, 16-8 ATS, 12-11-1 OU. Oklahoma State is 20-8 SU, 17-10-1 ATS, 19-8-1 OU. Namely, OSU freshman Cade Cunningham could be the difference-maker here. Cunningham averages 20.2 points per game.
Illinois Bracket SBG Free Picks
In this situation, Cunningham and Oklahoma State bring proven value with the College basketball odds. Tennessee’s defense should carry them against Oregon State. And the Illinois juggernaut should roll over Drexel.
Illinois Bracket SBG Best Bet: Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Illinois.
Tennesseea river formed by the confluence of two other rivers near Knoxville; it follows a U-shaped course to become a tributary of the Ohio River in western KentuckyMore (Definitions, Synonyms, Translation)