Krest's Prediction: Expect Illinois State to cover, and maybe even upset Wake Forest.
The No. 1 seed Wake Forest Demon Deacons will host the No. 4 seed Illinois State Redbirds on Sunday in the second round of the NIT. Illinois State has the better defense and a stronger inside game. They also have as many wins in three Quad I games as Wake does in 11.
shoot 54.5% on two-pointers, which ranks No. 72 in the country. Wake has had 12 games against teams ranked at least that high. They combined to shoot 61.9% against the Deacs. Overall, Wake ranks No. 273 in the country in interior defense.In addition to getting gashed on interior shots, Wake has struggled to rebound. They rank No. 304 in defensive rebounding rate and allowed opponents to rebound 40% of their own misses in the last three games. The Deacs have also failed to get a third of their offensive rebounding attempts in four of the last five.Illinois State also has an efficient shutdown defense that doesn't foul. TheWake Forest has allowed its last 20 opponents to average more than a point per possession. Thirteen of them have averaged more than 1.1 points, and seven have averaged 1.2 points. Illinois State has given up 1.2 points per possession four times all season. Illinois State plays at the No 216 pace in the country, while Wake plays at No. 127. So neither team will be pushing the ball. The Redbirds have been Under the last two and five of the last seven, including twice with a points cutoff in the 130s. Wake has been Under three of the last five. The Redbirds will get off to a fast start. They've trailed at the half just 12 times in 33 games this season. Wake Forest, meanwhile, has gone to the half trailing 20 times in 34 games.Illinois State is capable of pulling the upset in Winston-Salem, so we'll upgrade our cover to a straight-up win for our beyond-the-arc parlay. The winning team has scored 71 points or more in Illinois State's last 10 games and in eight of Wake Forest's last nine. So the Redbirds should clear 33.5 by halftime.Affiliate Disclosure : Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links. Since quitting his job as bank assistant vice-president in 2000, Shawn has covered Final Fours, Super Bowls, World Series games and title fights in boxing and UFC. His work has appeared on ESPN, MLB.com, Sports Illustrated and dozens of other outlets. His book,UCLA vs UConn Prediction, Picks & Odds for Sunday's March Madness GameSt. John's vs Kansas Prediction, Picks & Odds for Sunday's March Madness GameMiami vs Purdue Prediction, Picks & Odds for Sunday's March Madness GameArsenal vs Man City Predictions, Picks & Odds for Sunday’s EFL MatchVanderbilt vs Nebraska Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight's March Madness GameVCU vs Illinois Prediction, Picks & Odds for Today's March Madness GameCopyright © 1995 - 2026 CS Media Limited All Rights Reserved. If you choose to make use of any information on this website including online sports betting services from any websites that may be featured on this website, we strongly recommend that you carefully check your local laws before doing so.It is your sole responsibility to understand your local laws and observe them strictly.Covers does not provide any advice or guidance as to the legality of online sports betting or other online gambling activities within your jurisdiction and you are responsible for complying with laws that are applicable to you in your relevant locality.Covers disclaims all liability associated with your use of this website and use of any information contained on it.As a condition of using this website, you agree to hold the owner of this website harmless from any claims arising from your use of any services on any third party website that may be featured by Covers.
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