These VCU vs. Illinois predictions respect the Rams' absolute refusal to quit, something that should worry the Illini on Saturday, March 20.
Photo By - Reuters Connect. VCU guard Nyk Lewis shoots against North Carolina in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The VCU Rams may be the last and best hope for a Cinderella run this month, but that is a tough hope to hold when they are about to face the Illinois Fighting Illini, very much a genuine national title contender.
A flyer on VCU’s moneyline may make some sense as it pertains to value, but there should be no expectation of an outright upset. Illinois is more in the mold of a one-seed than a three-seed, and the Illini have the definitively best player on the court in freshman wing Keaton Wagler.. On Jan. 11, they were 11-6 with losses to New Mexico and George Mason. The NCAA Tournament was a dream.17-1 outright, not to mention winning the Atlantic-10 Tournament and going 3-1 ATS in the postseason . Of course, the Rams came back from 14 down late in the second half of the first round; they are relentless.Illinois' 4-5 outright record to end the season featured four overtime losses, favored by multiple buckets in three of those games. In all four of those overtime losses, Illinois led at halftime. The thought of VCU covering this spread is based on the Rams’ refusal to quit. That should create some nonsense points in the final quarter of the game, as well as perhaps some full-court press earlier than otherwise expected. Another piece to help the Over pursuit will be Illinois’s emphasis on offensive rebounding, No. 3 in the country. That coincides with a VCU weakness, something that should provide 6-foot-9 freshman forward David Mirkovic a couple of easy putback opportunities.Illinois is the better team. The Illini should command this game. Two years ago, a team of Illinois’ caliber would have been a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, not a No. 3. This is all to emphasize that expect Illinois to lead comfortably early until VCU finds desperation late.VCU’s closing flurry has included going 4-1 ATS in its last five games, exceeding bookmakers’ expectations by an average of 4.9 points per game even when including the sole ATS loss. Find more : 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. Douglas Farmer spends his days thinking about college football and his nights thinking about the NBA. His betting habits and coverage follow that same pattern. He covered Notre Dame football for various outlets from 2008 to 2024, most notably spending eight seasons as NBC Sports’ beat writer on the Irish. That was also when his gambling focus took off. Knowing there were veteran beat writers with three decades more experience than he had, Douglas found his niche by best recognizing Notre Dame’s standing in each year’s national landscape, a complex tapestry most easily understood and remembered via betting odds. In 2021, that interest created a freelance opportunity with Covers, a role that eventually led to Douglas joining the company full-time in 2023. In the fall, Douglas will place five or six dozen bets each week, a disproportionate amount via BetRivers because the operator tends to have lines slightly different than the rest of the market. The same can be said of Circa Sports’ futures markets. While Douglas is an avid NBA fan and covers the league throughout the year, the vast majority of his bets are on college football, because that is the biggest key to sports betting: Know what you do not know.Vanderbilt vs Nebraska Prediction, Picks & Odds for Saturday's March Madness GameTCU vs Duke Prediction, Picks & Odds for Saturday's March Madness GameSaint Louis vs Michigan Prediction, Picks & Odds for Saturday's March Madness GameFurman vs UConn Prediction, Picks & Best Bets for Tonight's March Madness GameMarch Madness Expert Picks: Daily Best Bets and PredictionsFurman vs UConn Prediction, Picks & Best Bets for Tonight's March Madness GamePrairie View A&M vs Florida Prediction, Picks & Best Bets for Today's March Madness GameIf 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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