Illinois vs. Morehead State odds, score prediction, start time: 2024 NCAA Tournament picks by proven model

The Illinois Fighting Illini take on the Morehead State Eagles in a 2024 NCAA Tournament first-round game on Thursday. The Eagles (26-8) will be making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021 on the strength of winning the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament and they head into March Madness on a six-game winning streak. The Fighting Illini (26-8) appear to be hitting their peak form now as they have won seven of eight, including three victories to capture the Big Ten Tournament following a second-place finish in the regular season.

Tipoff is set for 3:10 p.m. ET in the East Region matchup from the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Neb. The Illini are 11.5-point favorites and the over/under for total points scored is 146 in the latest Morehead State vs. Illinois odds via SportsLine consensus. Before making any Illinois vs. Morehead State picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model. 

The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Illinois vs. Morehead State. You can head to SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Morehead State vs. Illinois:

Illinois vs. Morehead State spread: Illinois -11.5Illinois vs. Morehead State over/under: 146Illinois vs. Morehead State money line: Illinois -710, Morehead State +506MHS: The Eagles are 11-2 against the spread when playing with four or more days of rest.ILL: The Illini are 4-1 ATS in neutral site games this season.Illinois vs. Morehead State picks: See picks at SportsLineWhy Illinois can cover The Fighting Illini feature a lethal mix of experience and efficiency on both ends of the court, a combination they hope will carry them past the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005. Last year, they fell 73-63 to Arkansas in the first round. This year’s club has the highest ceiling of any in the program’s seven years under coach Brad Underwood, and they showed their mettle Sunday in outlasting a prepared Wisconsin club that matched them blow for blow most of the way.

The game was tied 82-82 with 3:32 left before Illinois closed out the win by making all the key plays down the stretch, which included numerous offensive rebounds to keep possessions alive, a couple of steals and clutch free-throw shooting. Terrence Shannon Jr. had eight points and two steals down the stretch, while also grabbing the defensive rebound that sealed the outcome. He finished with 34 points and four rebounds while Marcus Domask, who had 26 points, made 9-of-10 free throws to help close the win. See which team to pick at SportsLine.

Why Morehead State can coverThe Eagles are making their third NCAA Tournament appearance of this decade and searching for their first March Madness victory since 2011. The Eagles have now won at least 20 games for four consecutive seasons, a first for the program, and have one of the most experienced rosters in the NCAA Tournament.

They are similarly solid on both ends of the floor, as evidenced by ranking No. 12 in the country in margin of victory with an average score of 75.5 to 62.8 Their closest game in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament came in an 84-78 victory over UT Martin in which they overcame a four-point halftime deficit.

The Eagles led most of the way in the championship game and pulled away comfortably for a 69-55 win over Little Rock. Riley Minix led the way with a team-high 26 points despite connecting on just one of his six 3-point attempts. Drew Thelwell added 21 points, four rebounds and two steals. See which team to pick at SportsLine. 

How to make Morehead State vs. Illinois picksThe model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 148 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Illinois vs. Morehead State, and which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that is 29-19 on top-rated college basketball spread picks this season.